Liberates a secret kiss? It's frisky (10)

I believe the answer is:

extricates

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'liberates' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are verbs in their -s form, I cannot understand how they can define each other.

'a secret kiss? it's frisky' is the wordplay.
'kiss?' becomes 'x'.
'frisky' indicates an anagram.
'a'+'secret'+'x'+'it'='asecretxit'
'asecretxit' with letters rearranged gives 'EXTRICATES'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for extricates that I've seen before include "Frees" , "releases" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.

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