Secured – the equaliser? (4)

I believe the answer is:

tied

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'secured' is the definition.
(tying is a kind of securing)

I can't explain the rest of the clue.

(Other definitions for tied that I've seen before include "Drawn" , "eg Scored 1-1" , "Knotted" , "United" , "(Of pub) controlled by a brewery" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.

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