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Objected to an early start in changing the guard (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

argued

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'objected' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both to do with communicating as well as being past participle verbs.
Perhaps there's a link between them I don't understand?

'an early start in changing the guard' is the wordplay.
'start' says to take the initial letters.
'in' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'changing' indicates anagramming the letters.
The first letter of 'early' is 'e'.
'guard' anagrammed gives 'argud'.
'e' inserted inside 'argud' is 'ARGUED'.

'to' is the link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for argued that I've seen before include "Contended or debated" , "Quarrelled or debated" , "Wrangled" , "Bickered" , "Sought to show by reasoning" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.
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