Suggest impolitely Eliot's characters being dropped (5)

I believe the answer is:

imply

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'suggest' is the definition.
(implying is a kind of suggesting)

I don't understand the rest of the clue.

(Other definitions for imply that I've seen before include "Indicate indirectly" , "Hint, suggest" , "Express by indirect means" , "Express indirectly" , "Infer" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.

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