Find something irritating and withdraw from event (7)

I believe the answer is:

scratch

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'withdraw from event' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

I cannot understand how the rest of the clue works.

(Other definitions for scratch that I've seen before include "In golf, a handicap of zero strokes" , "slight injury" , "Pull out of match" , "Handicap where expected to make" , "Don't play" .)

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

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