What does the cryptic crossword clue "Sodium, phosphorous and hydrogen that reduced oil (7)" mean?

The definition is "oil". The wordplay uses a charade (building blocks). NA (abbreviation="Sodium,") + P (first_letter="phosphorous") + H (abbreviation="hydrogen") + THA (synonym="that") = NAPHTHA; definition: "oil" The answer is NAPHTHA.

Sodium, phosphorous and hydrogen that reduced oil (7)

Daily Mail Cryptic #16790 | 21 Down | 2022-03-10 flower

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