Lift status: ascent quiet if maintained within two years (7)
I believe the answer is:
yuppify
'lift status ascent quiet if maintained within two years' is the definition.
I can't judge whether this defines the answer.
'quiet if maintained within two years' is the wordplay.
'quiet' becomes 'pp' (music symbol for 'pianissimo').
'maintained' is an insertion indicator (inserted letters get controlled or maintained).
'within two' becomes 'yu' (I am not sure about this - if you are sure you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'years' becomes 'y' (abbreviation).
'pp'+'if'='ppif'
'yu'+'y'='yuy'
'ppif' placed into 'yuy' is 'YUPPIFY'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for yuppify that I've seen before include "Turn to young pro" , "Take over (area) for urban professionals" , "Increase presence (in area) of young upwardly-mobile professionals" .)