Sounds like flow is curbed (4)
I believe the answer is:
tied
'curbed' is the definition.
Both the answer and definition are adjectives. Perhaps there's an association between them I don't understand?
'sounds like flow' is the wordplay.
'sounds like' shows a homophone (sound like).
'flow' becomes 'tide' (tiding is a kind of flowing).
'tide' is a homophone of 'TIED'.
'is' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for tied that I've seen before include "Made into a knot" , "have equal scores" , "Bound or secured" , "In no-win situation" , "Bound; placed equal" .)