Dared tangle with a snake! (5)

I believe the answer is:

adder

'a snake' is the definition.
(adder is a kind of snake)

'dared tangle' is the wordplay.
'tangle' indicates an anagram.
'dared' anagrammed gives 'ADDER'.

'with' acts as a link.

(Other definitions for adder that I've seen before include "danger in the countryside" , "Dread (anag)" , "calculator?" , "Snake (like an abacus?)" , "Venomous type" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.

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