Blow up with stuffed-up head and respiratory infection (5)
I believe the answer is:
scold
'blow up' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both to do with communicating as well as being verbs in their base form.
Perhaps there's a link between them I don't understand?
'stuffed-up head and respiratory infection' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite see how this works, but
'infection' could be 'cold' (I have seen 'Viral infection' mean 'cold' so perhaps 'infection' could also mean 'cold') and 'cold' is found in the answer.
A single letter 's' remains which might be clued in a way I don't see.
This may be the basis of the clue (or it may be nonsense).
'with' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for scold that I've seen before include "Chide, rebuke" , "Angrily rebuke" , "Rebuke; nagging woman" , "Rate" , "Chide - fishwife" .)