Bad luck almost complete, getting Republican extremist (9)
I believe the answer is:
hardliner
'extremist' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both people as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'bad luck almost complete getting republican' is the wordplay.
'bad luck' becomes 'hard lines' (phrase used to express commiserations or sympathy).
'almost complete' means to remove the last letter (most but not all of the word).
'getting' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'republican' becomes 'R' (abbreviation).
'hardlines' with its final letter taken away is 'hardline'.
'hardline'+'r'='HARDLINER'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for hardliner that I've seen before include "Uncompromising advocate" , "man of principle" , "Militant" , "dogmatic type" , "Doctrinaire type" .)