Support husband, elderly (4)
I believe the answer is:
hold
'support' is the definition.
(synonyms)
'husband elderly' is the wordplay.
'husband' becomes 'h'.
'elderly' becomes 'old' (similar in meaning).
'h'+'old'='HOLD'
(Other definitions for hold that I've seen before include "See 12" , "Have or possess" , "Keep; cargo space" , "Maintain" , "Continue" .)