Examine sane layabout (7)
I believe the answer is:
analyse
'examine' is the definition.
(synonyms)
I don't understand how the remainder of the clue works.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for analyse that I've seen before include "Sort out syntax" , "Separate (something) into its component parts" , "Study in detail" , "Evaluate" , "Break down into constituent parts" .)