Catch in some damnable act (3)
I believe the answer is:
nab
'catch' is the definition.
(thesaurus)
'some damnable act' is the wordplay.
'some' says the answer is hidden in the clue (some of the parts of the word are used).
'NAB' can be found hidden inside 'damnable act'.
'in' is the link.
(Other definitions for nab that I've seen before include "Arrest (colloq.)" , "Cop" , "Catch (a felon)" , "nail" , "Collar (sl.)" .)