Ransack stately home, initially breaking in like a cat burglar (8)
I believe the answer is:
stealthy
'like a cat burglar' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
'ransack stately home initially breaking' is the wordplay.
'ransack' is an anagram indicator (I've seen 'ransacked' mean this).
'initially' indicates taking the first letters.
'breaking' is an insertion indicator.
The first letter of 'home' is 'h'.
'stately' anagrammed gives 'stealty'.
'stealty' placed around 'h' is 'STEALTHY'.
'in' is the link.
(Other definitions for stealthy that I've seen before include "Secretive, silent" , "'Sneaky, clandestine (8)'" , "Unobtrusive" , "Acting in furtive or covert manner" , "Moving surreptitiously" .)