Papers reduced to a screed (9)

I believe the answer is:

decorates

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'papers' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both to do with contact as well as being verbs in their -s form.
Maybe you can see an association between them that I can't see?

'reduced to a screed' is the wordplay.
'reduced' is an anagram indicator.
'to'+'a'+'screed'='toascreed'
'toascreed' anagrammed gives 'DECORATES'.

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I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.

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