Artists can be in dire ones (7)
I believe the answer is:
straits
'dire ones' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are plural nouns, I cannot see how one could define the other.
'artists can be' is the wordplay.
'can be' indicates anagramming the letters.
'artists' is an anagram of 'STRAITS'.
'in' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for straits that I've seen before include "... of Magellan, Hormuz" , "Dire --, rock band" , "Sea passages" , "Difficulties" , "Narrow channels of the sea joining two larger bodies of water" .)