Tell IRA to reform word-for-word (7)
I believe the answer is:
literal
'word-for-word' is the definition.
(synonyms)
'tell ira to reform' is the wordplay.
'to reform' indicates an anagram (letters in a new form).
'tell'+'ira'='tellira'
'tellira' anagrammed gives 'LITERAL'.
(Other definitions for literal that I've seen before include "All tire (anag.)" , "Tell IRA (anag) - word for word" , "Without exaggeration or embellishment" , "Word-for-word" , "Unimaginative" .)