Inactive former partner can connect on vacation (7)
I believe the answer is:
extinct
'inactive' is the definition.
(synonyms)
'former partner can connect on vacation' is the wordplay.
'former partner' becomes 'ex' (an ex-partner).
'can' becomes 'tin' (both are metal containers).
'on vacation' means to remove the middle letters (after the inside letters have vacated the word).
'connect' with its middle removed is 'ct'.
'ex'+'tin'+'ct'='EXTINCT'
(Other definitions for extinct that I've seen before include "(Of a volcano) dead" , "(Species) lost" , "(Of species) no longer living" , "Dead - obsolete - extinguished" , "No longer erupting" .)