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Attempts to keep it in ridiculously small groups (9)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

trinities

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'small groups' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both groups as well as being plural nouns.
Maybe there's an association between them I don't understand?

'attempts to keep it in ridiculously' is the wordplay.
'attempts' becomes 'tries' ('try' can be a synonym of 'attempt').
'to keep' is an insertion indicator.
'ridiculously' is an anagram indicator.
'it'+'in'='itin'
'itin' is an anagram of 'niti'.
'tries' placed around 'niti' is 'TRINITIES'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Another definition for trinities that I've seen is " trios".)

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