State the actual figure (5)

I believe the answer is:

realm

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'state' is the definition.
(realm is a kind of state)

'actual figure' is the wordplay.
'actual' becomes 'real' (synonyms).
'figure' becomes 'm' (I can't explain this - if you can you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'real'+'m'='REALM'

'the' acts as a link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for realm that I've seen before include "monarch's responsibility" , "Royal domain" , "Kingdom could be lamer" , "King's domain" , "Kingdom, domain" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.