Cruel possibly and often filthy (5)

I believe the answer is:

lucre

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'often filthy' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this defines the answer.

'cruel possibly' is the wordplay.
'possibly' is an anagram indicator.
'cruel' is an anagram of 'LUCRE'.

'and' acts as a link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for lucre that I've seen before include "(Filthy) profit" , "benefits from crime" , "Cruel kind of money, may be filthy" , "monetary gain" , "Cash" .)

I've seen this clue in The Globe and Mail.

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