Hint of stipulation (3)
I believe the answer is:
tip
'hint' is the definition.
(I know that hint can be written as tip)
'of stipulation' is the wordplay.
'of' indicates a hidden word.
'TIP' is hidden in the letters of 'stipulation'.
(Other definitions for tip that I've seen before include "lots of rubbish" , "The extreme end of something" , "expected by those who wait" , "Indication of potential opportunity" , "single piece of asparagus, perhaps" .)