Maintained lobster ran at journalist (9)
I believe the answer is:
bolstered
'maintained' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are past participle verbs, I cannot understand how one could define the other.
'lobster ran at journalist' is the wordplay.
'ran' is an anagram indicator (letters have run around).
'at' says to put letters next to each other.
'journalist' becomes 'ed' (short for editor).
'lobster' anagrammed gives 'bolster'.
'bolster'+'ed'='BOLSTERED'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for bolstered that I've seen before include "Propped up" , "support" , "Supported, strengthened" .)