Stop and check locks in tsar when unruly (8)
I believe the answer is:
restrain
'stop' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'and check locks in tsar when unruly' is the wordplay.
I cannot really understand how this works, but
'and' could be 'n' (common abbreviation for 'and') and 'n' is present in the answer.
an anagram of 'tsar' is 'stra' which is within the answer.
The remaining letters 'rei' is a valid word which might be clued in a way I don't understand.
This explanation may well be incorrect...
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for restrain that I've seen before include "In arrest (anagram)" , "Hold back, tether" , "bottle up" , "Keep back" , "Control - check" .)