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Prune it, just a bit, and you'll make an impression (3,1,4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

cut a dash

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'make an impression' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'prune it just a bit and you'll' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite see how this works, but
'prune' could be 'cut' (synonyms) and 'cut' is found within the answer.
'a' is found in the answer.
The remaining letters 'dash' is a valid word which might be clued in a way I don't see.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for cut a dash that I've seen before include "look smart" , "edit out hyphen" , "make a big impression" , "How to produce a hyphen" , "Have a striking look" .)

I've seen this clue in The Irish Times.
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