Anxieties leading to second stroke (6)
I believe the answer is:
caress
'stroke' is the definition.
(synonyms)
'anxieties leading to second' is the wordplay.
'anxieties' becomes 'cares' (care is a kind of anxiety).
'leading to' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other) (some letters go before or lead others).
'second' becomes 's' (common abbreviation).
'cares'+'s'='CARESS'
(Other definitions for caress that I've seen before include "Touch with affection" , "Stroke fondly" , "Gentle affectionate stroking" , "Stroke gently" , "Scares with loving gesture" .)