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