Being the one stuck in the pipe (4)
I believe the answer is:
main
'pipe' is the definition.
(I know that main is a type of pipe)
'being the one stuck in' is the wordplay.
'being' becomes 'man' (human being).
'the one' becomes 'i' (Roman numeral).
'stuck in' indicates putting letters inside.
'man' placed around 'i' is 'MAIN'.
'the' is the link.
(Other definitions for main that I've seen before include "Most important element" , "Chief, primary" , "Might on the high seas" , "Salt water" , "(The mighty) sea" .)