If there are rows that you want in your dataset, then you shouldn't filter them out (which, in effect, gets rid of them). Depending on what your goal is, there are a number of different ways to approach this, I can't totally tell from your example, but if you're trying to do something to one group and not another, you can use if_else()- or case_when()-type logic.
Could you please turn this into a self-contained reprex (short for reproducible example)? It will help us help you if we can be sure we're all working with/looking at the same stuff.
install.packages("reprex")
If you've never heard of a reprex before, you might want to start by reading the tidyverse.org help page. The reprex dos and don'ts are also useful.
There's also a nice FAQ on how to do a minimal reprex for beginners, below:
What to do if you run into clipboard problems
If you run into problems with access to your clipboard, you can specify an outfile for the reprex, and then copy and paste the contents into the forum.
reprex::reprex(input = "fruits_stringdist.R", outfile = "fruits_stringdist.md")
For pointers specific to the community site, check out the reprex FAQ.