A smoother grit gains a newssheet (9)

I believe the answer is:

sandpaper

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'a smoother' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'grit gains a newssheet' is the wordplay.
'grit' becomes 'sa nd' (synonyms).
'gains a newssheet' becomes 'paper' (I can't explain this - if you can you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'sand'+'paper'='SANDPAPER'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for sandpaper that I've seen before include "Smooth" , "Means of smoothing wood" , "Make smoother" , "Abrasive smoother" , "Abrasive material" .)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.

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