Time included by leading players for openings (6)
I believe the answer is:
starts
'openings' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both acts as well as being plural nouns.
Perhaps there's a link between them I don't understand?
'time included by leading players' is the wordplay.
'time' becomes 't' (abbreviation).
'included by' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'leading players' becomes 'stars' (I've seen this in another clue).
't' placed inside 'stars' is 'STARTS'.
'for' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for starts that I've seen before include "Makes sudden movement from pain or surprise" , "Commences" , "origins?" , "jerks" , "Begins - or jumps as with fright" .)