Lift gets approval, but not initially (5)
I believe the answer is:
raise
'lift' is the definition.
(I know that lift can be written as raise)
'approval but not initially' is the wordplay.
'approval' becomes 'praise' (praise is a kind of approval).
'but not initially' means to remove the first letter.
'praise' with its initial letter removed is 'RAISE'.
'gets' is the link.
(Other definitions for raise that I've seen before include "Make greater" , "What a poker player might do" , "Heighten" , "Advance" , "Haul up" .)