What does the cryptic crossword clue "Doubly small for a defender (7)" mean?

The definition is "defender". The wordplay uses a charade (building blocks). S (synonym="small") + WEE (synonym="a second/double “small”") + PER (synonym="”for a”") = SWEEPER; definition: "defender" The answer is SWEEPER.

Doubly small for a defender (7)

Guardian Cryptic #28874 | 23 Across | 2022-09-28 flower

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