Short cut to get fuel (3)
I believe the answer is:
gas
'fuel' is the definition.
(gas is a fuel)
'short cut' is the wordplay.
'short' means to remove the last letter.
'cut' becomes 'gash' (a gash is a wound or cut).
'gash' with its last letter taken away is 'GAS'.
'to get' is the link.
(Other definitions for gas that I've seen before include "Eg, nitrogen" , "Form of fossil fuel" , "THIRD PART OF 23" , "Hydrogen possibly" , "Talk profusely" .)