Crossword Genius

A distanced gesture — as holding in anger is (3,4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

air kiss

'a distanced gesture' is the definition.
(mimed kiss from a distance)

'as holding in anger is' is the wordplay.
'holding in' is an insertion indicator.
'anger' becomes 'irk' (irking is a kind of angering).
'irk'+'is'='irkis'
'as' going around 'irkis' is 'AIR-KISS'.

(Other definitions for air kiss that I've seen before include "Greeting that's not touching" , "form of greeting" , "contactless transaction" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
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