Some comedians were giving a reply (6)
I believe the answer is:
answer
'a reply' is the definition.
(synonyms)
'some comedians were giving' is the wordplay.
'some' indicates the answer is hidden within the clue (some parts of the word are used).
'ANSWER' can be found hidden inside 'comedians were giving'.
(Other definitions for answer that I've seen before include "Reply or 8 across" , "Response - solution" , "'A soft . . . . . . turneth away wrath'" , "Retort" , "See 9" .)