Defame a large number and get into a row (6)

I believe the answer is:

malign

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'defame' is the definition.
(I know that malign is a more specific form of the action defame)

'a large number and get into a row' is the wordplay.
'a large number' becomes 'm'.
'and get' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'into' is an insertion indicator.
'a' becomes 'an'.
'row' becomes 'lig' (I can't explain this - if you can you should believe this answer much more).
'an' placed around 'lig' is 'align'.
'm'+'align'='MALIGN'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for malign that I've seen before include "Showing malice, say harmful things about" , "Speak ill of; evil" , "Speak bad of" , "Laming, showing malice" , "Evil-natured" .)

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

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