Cut short the work on credit (4)
I believe the answer is:
crop
'cut short' is the definition.
(synonyms)
'work on credit' is the wordplay.
'work' becomes 'op' (abbreviation for opus).
'on' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'credit' becomes 'cr' (abbreviation).
'op' after 'cr' is 'CROP'.
'the' is the link.
(Other definitions for crop that I've seen before include "farm produce" , "Type of whip" , "Yield from cultivation" , "Short haircut" , "Harvest yield" .)