Figure blocking female in lift (8)
I believe the answer is:
heighten
'lift' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'figure blocking female' is the wordplay.
'figure' becomes 'eight' (I've seen this in other clues).
'blocking' is an insertion indicator.
'female' becomes 'hen' (hen is a kind of female).
'eight' inserted into 'hen' is 'HEIGHTEN'.
'in' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for heighten that I've seen before include "Make more intense - elevate?" , "Move up" , "Elevate - intensify" , "Become more intense" , "Intensify; make taller" .)