Lets off bailiffs about price increases initially (9)

'lets' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both acts as well as being plural nouns.
Maybe there's an association between them I don't understand?

'off bailiffs about price increases initially' is the wordplay.
'off bailiffs' becomes 'reeves' (I can't explain this - if you can you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'about' indicates putting letters inside.
'price' becomes 'pr'.
'initially' says to take the initial letters.
The first letter of 'increases' is 'i'.
'pr'+'i'='pri'
'reeves' enclosing 'pri' is 'REPRIEVES'.

Can you help me to learn more?