Given time, dip into squash (5)

I believe the answer is:

tread

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'squash' is the definition.
(treading is a kind of squashing)

'given time dip' is the wordplay.
'given' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'time' becomes 't' (abbreviation).
'dip' becomes 'read' (I can't explain this - if you can you should believe this answer much more).
't'+'read' is 'TREAD'.

'into' is the link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for tread that I've seen before include "Moulded part of a tyre" , "between the car and the road" , "Surface of car tyre" , "Step (heavily)" , "Rated (anag)" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.

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