Emerge in sad shambles with time difference (12)
I believe the answer is:
disagreement
'difference' is the definition.
(disagreement is a kind of difference)
'emerge in sad shambles with time' is the wordplay.
'shambles with' is an anagram indicator.
'time' becomes 't'.
'emerge'+'in'+'sad'='emergeinsad'
'emergeinsad' with its letters anagrammed with 't' can make 'DISAGREEMENT'.
(Other definitions for disagreement that I've seen before include "Lack of consensus" , "Contretemps" , "Difference of opinion" , "Quarrel" , "Argument" .)