Skilful elevation of soft pedal to some extent (5)

I believe the answer is:

adept

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'skilful' is the definition.
(synonyms)

'elevation of soft pedal to some extent' is the wordplay.
'ADEPT' is hidden back-to-front within the letters.
But, I am not sure how this is indicated.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for adept that I've seen before include "who gets the lapis philosophicus secret" , "Showing skill or aptitude" , "Master" , "Very skilled person" , "Completely skilled" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.

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