Nudge elf violently, being swamped (8)
I believe the answer is:
engulfed
'swamped' is the definition.
(synonyms)
'nudge elf violently' is the wordplay.
'violently' indicates anagramming the letters (letters are violently disrupted).
'nudge'+'elf'='nudgeelf'
'nudgeelf' anagrammed gives 'ENGULFED'.
'being' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for engulfed that I've seen before include "Swallowed up or overwhelmed" , "Swallowed up as by wave" , "Possibly, stuck in a swamp" , "Swallowed by as by waves" .)