Permit, or penalise, criminal actions? Not at first (8)
I believe the answer is:
sanction
'permit' is the definition.
(I know that approve is a type of clear)
'criminal actions? not at first' is the wordplay.
'criminal' indicates an anagram.
'at first' indicates taking the first letters.
The first letter of 'not' is 'n'.
'actions' anagrammed gives 'sanctio'.
'sanctio'+'n'='SANCTION'
'or penalise' acts as a link.
This may not be correct. Some or all of it may belong to another bit of the clue.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for sanction that I've seen before include "Give final permission" , "Penalty for breaking law" , "Permission or approval as for course of action" , "Authorisation" , "Official approval (for an action)" .)