Golf, for example, reversing around old men (6)
I believe the answer is:
troops
'men' is the definition.
(thesaurus)
'golf for example reversing around old' is the wordplay.
'golf for example' becomes 'sport' (golf is a kind of sport).
'reversing' shows that the letters should be reversed in order.
'around' indicates putting letters inside.
'old' becomes 'o' (common abbreviation eg in OE for Old English).
'sport' reversed gives 'trops'.
'trops' going around 'o' is 'TROOPS'.
(Other definitions for troops that I've seen before include "Groups of soldiers" , "Military divisions" , "Bodies of soldiers" , "Army" , "men" .)