Promotions delight some at first with envy occasionally admitted (10)
I believe the answer is:
elevations
'promotions' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both acts as well as being plural nouns.
Maybe they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'delight some at first with envy occasionally admitted' is the wordplay.
'delight' becomes 'elation' (elation is delight or glee).
'at first' indicates taking the first letters.
'with' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'occasionally' indicates alternate letters (letters taken at regular intervals or occasions).
'admitted' is an insertion indicator (inserted letters are let in or admitted).
The initial letter of 'some' is 's'.
The alternating letters of 'envy' are 'ev'.
'elation'+'s'='elations'
'elations' placed around 'ev' is 'ELEVATIONS'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Another definition for elevations that I've seen is " rises".)