Do this — and attempt to maintain routine's backfiring? (7)
I believe the answer is:
disturb
'do this' is the definition.
The definition suggests a singular noun but the answer is not.
'attempt to maintain routine's backfiring?' is the wordplay.
'attempt' becomes 'bid' (bid is a kind of attempt).
'to maintain' means one lot of letters goes inside another (maintain can mean to keep or preserve).
'routine's' becomes 'rut's' (being stuck in a rut is being stuck in a routine).
'backfiring?' says the letters should be written in reverse (I've seen 'backfiring' mean this).
'bid' placed around 'ruts' is 'brutsid'.
'brutsid' written backwards gives 'DISTURB'.
'and' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for disturb that I've seen before include "Bother" , "inconvenience" , "Make anxious" , "Intrude on" , "Trouble - interrupt" .)