The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 plus 2 letter word TENSE UP
I've seen this crossword clue in The Sunday Telegraph
T
E
N
S
E
U
P
More clues leading to the result TENSE UP
- Numbers quiet about European Union become uneasy
- A number drink, we hear, and become strained
- Perfect maybe on horseback? Don't relax
- Worried teens in court become unable to relax
- Nearly all of team drink around Spain and become tight
- Get nervous being present perhaps at uni
- Perfect for example holding a lead, become nervous
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "become nervous" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case become nervous = tense up.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.