Caresses move upwards (4)
I believe the answer is:
pets
'caresses' is the definition.
(petting is a kind of caressing)
'move upwards' is the wordplay.
'move' becomes 'step' (step is a kind of move).
'upwards' is a reversal indicator.
'step' written backwards gives 'PETS'.
(Other definitions for pets that I've seen before include "Little darlings - step on them" , "Animals at home" , "Domesticated animals" , "Domestic animals" .)