Offering makes critic safe, but no tea! (9)

I believe the answer is:

sacrifice

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'offering' is the definition.
(I have seen 'An offering ' mean 'sacrifice' so perhaps 'offering' could also mean 'sacrifice')

I cannot understand how the remainder of the clue works.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for sacrifice that I've seen before include "Give up" , "Immolate" , "Killed offering to a deity" , "Renounce" , "Destroy" .)

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

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