Maid managed, with time, to confess (5)
I believe the answer is:
admit
'confess' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
'maid managed with time' is the wordplay.
'managed with' indicates anagramming the letters.
'time' becomes 't' (abbreviation).
'maid' anagrammed with 't' gives 'ADMIT'.
'to' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for admit that I've seen before include "Provide student with place" , "Reveal" , "Confess - acknowledge" , "Let in - concede" , "Allow to enter; own up" .)