Crossword Genius

Let off the hook, sailors love getting drunk (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

absolve

'let off the hook' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'sailors love getting drunk' is the wordplay.
'sailors' becomes 'abs' (I've seen this in other clues).
'getting drunk' indicates anagramming the letters.
'love' anagrammed gives 'olve'.
'abs'+'olve'='ABSOLVE'

(Other definitions for absolve that I've seen before include "Cleanse" , "Give pardon" , "Exculpate" , "Exonerate" , "Excuse" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.