Cloaked in secrecy, cleptomaniacs avoid waste (7)
I believe the answer is:
recycle
'waste' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both related to consumption as well as being verbs in their base form.
Perhaps you can see an association between them that I don't see?
'cloaked in secrecy cleptomaniacs avoid' is the wordplay.
'cloaked in' indicates the answer is hidden within the clue (cloak can mean to conceal).
'RECYCLE' is hidden within 'secrecy cleptomaniacs avoid'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for recycle that I've seen before include "Process for further use" , "Process something so it can be used again" , "Use (waste) again" , "Process for re-use" , "Use (rubbish) again" .)