Some offend elves with dig (5)
I believe the answer is:
delve
'dig' is the definition.
(synonyms)
'some offend elves with' is the wordplay.
'some' says the answer is hidden in the clue (some parts of the word are used).
'DELVE' is hidden within 'offend elves with'.
(Other definitions for delve that I've seen before include "Rummage deep (in)" , "Intensively research (into something)" , "Dig up - search" , "Dig - research deeply" , "Search deeply for information" .)