Heading off, risk walk (5)
I believe the answer is:
amble
'walk' is the definition.
(amble is a kind of walk)
'heading off risk' is the wordplay.
'heading off' means to remove the first letter.
'risk' becomes 'gamble' (synonyms).
'gamble' with its first letter removed is 'AMBLE'.
(Other definitions for amble that I've seen before include "Make slow progress" , "Wander gently along" , "Walk gently" , "Blame for leisurely walk" , "Swan" .)