The following clues will lead to a series of words consisting of 3 to 7 letters. The five-letter word will contain all of the letters in the four-letter word. The six-letter word will contain all of the letters from the five-letter word and so on. The successive words are most likely anagrammed. The clues are shown in alphabetical order so most likely not in the order they actually progress.

Example: Add wharf to: eye part, against, teach, prepare pelts, Picasso
Solution: Add "p-i-e-r" to: retina, anti, train, tan, painter
Put in order it would be: tan, ant(I), t(R)ain, r(E)tina, (P)ainter

-1. Add groups of whales to: an Italian sauce, bard, discontinued, tyrant, word with house or rock
-2. Add a floor covering to: a rotating machine part, appease, ill will, mood or atmosphere, Sahara transport
-3. Add restrain to: Chester or Garfield, positive, provide food and service, stupor, wagon
-4. Add bait to: bleak, casual painter, dollop, sturdy, word with fruit or basket
-5. Add chimed to: bird or machine, butchery, land measure, obscure, type of bandage or pilot

3. rein: cat, caRt, catEr, traNce, certaIn

5. rang: ace, acre, crane, arcane, carnage

2. tile: cam, caLm, camEl, malIce, climaTe

Excellent solves!

1 - pods - pet ,poet ,pesto, despot , stopped

Good one niteowl! I got stuck on opera for the word with house or rock and it was just close enough to the others that I didn't get past it.

Perfect, niteowl

I can see how you would get stuck on that, Bob. I didn't do that on purpose although I wish I had thought of it.

4. lure: dab, drab, bread, dauber, durable

Indeed, Joan.