America, say, elevated idiom (5)
I believe the answer is:
usage
'idiom' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
'america say elevated' is the wordplay.
'america' becomes 'usa' (synonyms).
'say' becomes 'eg' (both can mean 'for example').
'elevated' says the letters should be written backwards (in a down clue, letters go up).
'eg' reversed gives 'ge'.
'usa'+'ge'='USAGE'
(Other definitions for usage that I've seen before include "Habit" , "Custom; practice" , "Treatment, practice" , "Way of employing" , "Accepted or habitual practice" .)