Looking around for five in need of food (8)
I believe the answer is:
starving
'in need of food' is the definition.
'looking around for five' is the wordplay.
'looking' becomes 'staring' (staring is a kind of looking).
'around' indicates putting letters inside.
'for five' becomes 'v' (I can't explain this - if you can you should believe this answer much more).
'staring' going around 'v' is 'STARVING'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for starving that I've seen before include "feeling famished" , "certainly not scoffing" , "Ravenous, really hungry" , "Suffering from lack of food" , "Dying of hunger" .)