Kept down, like a child hiding in cover (7)
I believe the answer is:
limited
'kept down' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both related to change as well as being past participle verbs.
Perhaps there's an association between them I don't understand?
'child hiding in cover' is the wordplay.
'child' becomes 'mite' (mite can informally mean a small child).
'hiding in' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'cover' becomes 'lid' (lid is a kind of cover).
'mite' put into 'lid' is 'LIMITED'.
'like a' is the link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for limited that I've seen before include "Bound" , "Restricted in extent/size" , "Bounded, circumscribed" , "Narrow" , "short of talent" .)