Check work on worktop (10)
I believe the answer is:
counteract
'check' is the definition.
(counteracting is a kind of checking)
'work on worktop' is the wordplay.
'work' becomes 'act' ('act' can be a synonym of 'work').
'on' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'worktop' becomes 'counter' (I've seen this before).
'act' after 'counter' is 'COUNTERACT'.
(Other definitions for counteract that I've seen before include "Oppose" , "Put a check on" , "Take steps to neutralise" , "Work against" , "Nullify" .)