With leader absent, badinage beginning to inspire soldiers at the front (8)

I believe the answer is:

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'at the front' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'with leader absent badinage beginning to inspire soldiers' is the wordplay.
'with' says to put letters next to each other.
'leader' says to take the initial letters.
'badinage' becomes 'nter' (I can't justify this - if you can you should believe this answer much more).
'beginning to' says to take the initial letters.
'soldiers' becomes 'OR' (military abbreviation for other ranks).
The initial letter of 'absent' is 'a'.
The first letter of 'inspire' is 'i'.
'a'+'nter' is 'anter'.
'anter'+'i'+'or'='ANTERIOR'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for anterior that I've seen before include "Nearer the front; earlier" , "Nearer the front; prior (to)" , "Previous, to the fore" , "Coming before in position or time" , "Towards the front" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.

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