Carry on a conflict over pay? (4,3)
I believe the answer is:
wage war
'pay?' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are verbs in their base form, I cannot understand how one could define the other.
'carry on a conflict' is the wordplay.
'carry on' becomes 'wage' (as in waging war).
'a conflict' becomes 'war' (war is a kind of conflict).
'wage'+'war'='WAGE WAR'
'over' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for wage war that I've seen before include "Conduct hostilities" , "industrial dispute?" , "campaign" .)