Hope elephant has thick skin (4)

I believe the answer is:

peel

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'thick skin' is the definition.
'peel' can be an answer for 'skin' (synonyms). I am not sure about the 'thick' bit.

'hope elephant has' is the wordplay.
'has' indicates a hidden word.
'PEEL' is hidden within 'hope elephant'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for peel that I've seen before include "A PM; a fortified tower" , "Lemon skin" , "Strip the skin off" , "Remove the rind" , "old prime minister" .)

I've seen this clue in The Mirror.

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