Increase status to honourable (10)
I believe the answer is:
upstanding
'honourable' is the definition.
(similar in meaning)
'increase status' is the wordplay.
'increase' becomes 'up' (upping is a kind of increasing).
'status' becomes 'standing' (standing is a kind of status).
'up'+'standing'='UPSTANDING'
'to' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for upstanding that I've seen before include "Honest, respectable; erect" , "as we must be when the judge appears!" , "Ready for toast" .)