Increase in spending as match official delayed (7)
I believe the answer is:
reflate
'increase' is the definition.
(I know that reflate is a more specific form of enlarge)
'official delayed' is the wordplay.
'official' becomes 'ref' (match official in football, say).
'delayed' becomes 'late' (running late).
'ref'+'late'='REFLATE'
'in spending as match' acts as a link.
I am not very happy about this link. Some or all of it may be part of another bit of the clue.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for reflate that I've seen before include "Blow up" , "raise expenditure" .)