Stretching ringed asp out (9)
I believe the answer is:
spreading
'stretching' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both acts as well as being singular nouns.
Perhaps they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'ringed asp out' is the wordplay.
'out' is an anagram indicator (out can mean wrong or inaccurate).
'ringed'+'asp'='ringedasp'
'ringedasp' anagrammed gives 'SPREADING'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for spreading that I've seen before include "town, taking over nearby countryside?" , "Making broader" , "Expanding" , "Covering more ground" , "Opening out" .)