Running about on leave in part of the Western US (6)
I believe the answer is:
oregon
'the western us' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both locations as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'running about on leave in' is the wordplay.
'running' becomes 'on' (eg when a machine is running it is on).
'about' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'on' becomes 're' ('on' can be mean 'with reference to').
'leave in' becomes 'go' (to go is to depart or leave. I am not sure about the 'in' bit.).
're'+'go'='rego'
'on' placed around 'rego' is 'OREGON'.
'part of' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for oregon that I've seen before include "Pacific coast US state" , "Salem is this State's capital" , "US state, capital Portland" , "American state, capital Salem (6)." , "area of the US" .)