Viciously adapt rag - wipe a nose (9)

I believe the answer is:

weaponise

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'viciously adapt' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this defines the answer.

'rag wipe a nose' is the wordplay.
'rag' indicates an anagram (I've seen 'ragged' mean this).
'wipe'+'a'+'nose'='wipeanose'
'wipeanose' with letters rearranged gives 'WEAPONISE'.

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I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.

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