Melt some of the path away (4)
I believe the answer is:
thaw
'melt' is the definition.
(synonyms)
I cannot understand how the rest of the clue works.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for thaw that I've seen before include "(Of snow) start to melt" , "What - melt like snow?" , "De-ice" , "following 28 [SILVER]" , "when the temperature rises?" .)