Crossword Genius

Party leading newsman to get hammered (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

thrashed

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

'party leading newsman' is the wordplay.
'party' becomes 'thrash' (thrash can informally mean a party).
'leading newsman' becomes 'ed' (short for editor. I am not sure about the 'leading' bit.).
'thrash'+'ed'='THRASHED'

'to get' is the link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for thrashed that I've seen before include "Beaten soundly" , "Beat violently" , "Beat soundly" , "severely punished" , "given whitewashing" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times and The Sunday Times.
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