Toils at the back building boats (6)
I believe the answer is:
grafts
'toils' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both acts as well as being plural nouns.
Maybe they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'at the back building boats' is the wordplay.
'at the back' indicates one should take the final letters (the letter at the back).
'boats' becomes 'rafts' (I have seen 'Flat boats ' mean 'rafts' so perhaps 'boats' could also mean 'rafts').
The final letter of 'building' is 'g'.
'g'+'rafts'='GRAFTS'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for grafts that I've seen before include "Tree implants or corrupt business practices" , "Splices or joins plant shoots together" , "Works hard; transplants" , "Shoots from one plant fixed into another" .)