Suppress the rest if less essential (6)
I believe the answer is:
stifle
'suppress' is the definition.
(stifling is a kind of suppressing)
'rest if less essential' is the wordplay.
'STIFLE' is hidden within the letters.
However, I'm unsure how this is indicated.
'the' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for stifle that I've seen before include "Joint in hind leg of horse" , "Smother, suffocate" , "Repress, choke" , "Asphyxiate - itself (anag)" , "Repress -- itself (anag)" .)