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Subversive regrets boxing to a degree, when knocked over (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

saboteur

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'subversive' is the definition.
(thesaurus)

'regrets boxing to a degree when knocked over' is the wordplay.
'regrets' becomes 'rues' ('rue' can be a synonym of 'regret').
'boxing' is an insertion indicator ('box' can mean contain, as in to put in a box).
'a degree when' becomes 'ba' (I can't justify this - if you can you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'knocked over' says the letters should be written backwards.
'to'+'ba'='toba'
'rues' enclosing 'toba' is 'ruetobas'.
'ruetobas' reversed gives 'SABOTEUR'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for saboteur that I've seen before include "One who wrecks" , "One who disrupts or damages by design" , "He destroys in order to subvert" , "One causing deliberate destruction" , "One causes damage for political reasons" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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