Struggle — after five, that is (3)
I believe the answer is:
vie
'struggle' is the definition.
(I've seen this in other clues)
'after five that is' is the wordplay.
'after' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'five' becomes 'v' (roman numeral).
'that is' becomes 'ie' (synonyms).
'v'+'ie' is 'VIE'.
(Other definitions for vie that I've seen before include "Contend for superiority" , "Jockey" , "I've got to compete" , "Rival" , "contest" .)