More loved, even if up in price (6)

I believe the answer is:

dearer

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'more loved' is the definition.
('dear' can be similar in meaning to 'loved')

I can't explain the remainder of the clue.

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(Other definitions for dearer that I've seen before include "Less cheap" , "Nearer to the heart" , "More expensive or loved" , "More expensive or more beloved" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.

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