Broke seashell or did he just let it go? (8,3,4)

I believe the answer is:

released his hold

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'let it go?' is the definition.
I know nothing about this answer so I cannot judge whether this works.

'broke seashell or did he' is the wordplay.
'broke' indicates anagramming the letters.
'seashell'+'or'+'did'+'he'='seashellordidhe'
'seashellordidhe' anagrammed gives 'RELEASED HIS HOLD'.

'just' is the link.

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

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