I.e. start to confuse the entertainer (7)
I believe the answer is:
artiste
'the entertainer' is the definition.
(artiste is a kind of entertainer)
'i e start to confuse' is the wordplay.
'to confuse' indicates anagramming the letters.
'i'+'e'+'start'='iestart'
'iestart' is an anagram of 'ARTISTE'.
(Other definitions for artiste that I've seen before include "nightclub entertainer?" , "Professional performer" , "A sitter for a performer" , "Person playing" , "Attires for professional entertainer" .)