Ponder time out making a recovery (10)
I believe the answer is:
redemption
'a recovery' is the definition.
(redemption is a kind of recovery)
'ponder time out' is the wordplay.
'out' is an anagram indicator (out can mean wrong or inaccurate).
'ponder'+'time'='pondertime'
'pondertime' is an anagram of 'REDEMPTION'.
'making' is the link.
(Other definitions for redemption that I've seen before include "Act of saving from evil" , "Salvation, deliverance" , "Action of saving from evil" .)