What does the cryptic crossword clue "Spirited females allow men only to speak (8)" mean?

The wordplay uses a homophone (sounds like). Sounds like (‘to speak’) BAN SHES (‘allow men only’). The answer is BANSHEES.

Spirited females allow men only to speak (8)

Guardian Cryptic #29491 | 13 Down | 2024-09-18 flower