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Sailor almost angry on base, getting arrested (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

absorbed

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'arrested' is the definition.
(both can mean very interested)

'sailor almost angry on base' is the wordplay.
'sailor' becomes 'ab' (abbreviation for able seaman).
'almost' means to remove the last letter (most of the word but not all of it).
'angry' becomes 'sore' ('sore' can be similar in meaning to 'angry').
'on base' becomes 'bed' (bed is a kind of base. I am not sure about the 'on' bit.**).
'sore' with its last letter taken off is 'sor'.
'ab'+'sor'+'bed'='ABSORBED'

'getting' is the link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for absorbed that I've seen before include "Soaked up; rapt" , "Deep in thought" , "Rapt, intent" , "Took in or sucked up" , "Assimilated" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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