They're dropped, usually not silently (5)
I believe the answer is:
hints
'they're dropped usually' is the definition.
The definition suggests an adverb but the answer is not.
'not silently' is the wordplay.
I cannot really understand how this works, but
'not' could be 'nt' (synonyms) and 'nt' is located in the answer.
The remaining letters 'his' is a valid word which might be clued in a way I don't understand.
This may be the basis of the clue (or it may be nonsense).
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for hints that I've seen before include "Slight indications" , "Tips" , "Suggestions" .)