Crossword Genius

Guests beginning to get drunk and intimate (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

suggest

'intimate' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'guests beginning to get drunk' is the wordplay.
'beginning to' suggests taking the first letters.
'drunk' is an anagram indicator.
The initial letter of 'get' is 'g'.
'guests'+'g'='guestsg'
'guestsg' with letters rearranged gives 'SUGGEST'.

'and' acts as a link.

(Other definitions for suggest that I've seen before include "Give an impression of" , "Put forward for consideration" , "Intimate" , "Insinuate" , "Offer for consideration" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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