Snaps "Black ties are out!" (5)
I believe the answer is:
bites
'snaps' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both acts as well as being plural nouns.
Perhaps you can see a link between them that I can't see?
'black ties are out' is the wordplay.
'black' becomes 'b' (abbreviation as in pencil hardness).
'are out' indicates an anagram (out can mean wrong or inaccurate).
'ties' is an anagram of 'ites'.
'b'+'ites'='BITES'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for bites that I've seen before include "Mouthfuls" , "Nibbles" , "Morsels" , "Stings" , "Nips to" .)