British in Australia start to explain cruelty (5)
I believe the answer is:
abuse
'cruelty' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both acts as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe you can see a link between them that I don't see?
'british in australia start to explain' is the wordplay.
'british' becomes 'b' (abbreviation e.g. in 'BBC').
'in' indicates putting letters inside.
'australia' becomes 'Aus' (abbreviation).
'start to' indicates taking the first letters.
The initial letter of 'explain' is 'e'.
'b' placed inside 'aus' is 'abus'.
'abus'+'e'='ABUSE'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for abuse that I've seen before include "corrupt practice" , "Berate - exploitation" , "Mistreatment" , "Inveigh against" , "Vituperation" .)