Figures a close finish to be exciting (5)
I believe the answer is:
tense
'exciting' is the definition.
Both the answer and definition are adjectives. Maybe they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'figures a close finish' is the wordplay.
'figures' becomes 'tens' (ten is a number).
'finish' indicates one should take the final letters.
The last letter of 'close' is 'e'.
'tens'+'e'='TENSE'
'to be' is the link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for tense that I've seen before include "Rigid; verb form" , "Stressful" , "past possibly" , "Maybe past" , "Form of verb showing time" .)