Crossword Genius

Filthier S&M previously shunned by liberal (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

smearier

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'filthier' is the definition.
Both the definition and answer are comparative adjectives.
Maybe there's an association between them I don't understand?

'sm previously shunned by liberal' is the wordplay.
I cannot really understand how this works, but
'sm' is found in the answer.
This may be the basis of the clue (or it may be nonsense).

Can you help me to learn more?

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.