Tinder, maybe, wasn't reliable or practical (7)

I believe the answer is:

applied

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'practical' is the definition.
('applied' can be similar in meaning to 'practical')

I can't explain the rest of the clue.

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(Other definitions for applied that I've seen before include "Employed" , "Put into practice or requested" , "implemented" , "Useful" , "Was relevant" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.

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