Sober way to help (5)
I believe the answer is:
staid
'sober' is the definition.
(synonyms)
'way to help' is the wordplay.
'way' becomes 'st' (abbreviation for street).
'to help' becomes 'aid' ('aid' can be a synonym of 'help').
'st'+'aid'='STAID'
(Other definitions for staid that I've seen before include "Stiff; serious minded" , "Settled" , "Serious or sober in character" , "Calm, respectable and unadventurous" , "Sedate; dull" .)