Crossword Genius

Perfect for example holding a lead, become nervous (5,2)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

tense up

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'a lead become nervous' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this definition defines the answer.

'perfect for example holding' is the wordplay.
'perfect for example' becomes 'tense' (perfect is a kind of tense).
'holding' becomes 'up' (I can't explain this - if you can you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'tense'+'up'='TENSE UP'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for tense up that I've seen before include "become edgy" , "become uneasy" , "Become stiff through stress or anxiety" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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