Spy heartlessly checks organisations (7)
I believe the answer is:
systems
'organisations' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are plural nouns, I can't understand how they can define each other.
'spy heartlessly checks' is the wordplay.
'heartlessly' means to remove the middle letters.
'checks' becomes 'stems' (check can mean to stem or stop).
'spy' with its middle removed is 'sy'.
'sy'+'stems'='SYSTEMS'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for systems that I've seen before include "that all go before lift-off?" , "Methods of working" , "Arrangements of units that function together" , "Theories of universe, perhaps" , "ways of proceeding" .)