Tough and mean right through (7)
I believe the answer is:
stringy
'tough' is the definition.
(synonyms)
'mean right through' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite see how this works, but
'right' could be 'r' (common abbreviation) and 'r' is located in the answer.
'mean' could be 'stingy' (both can mean miserly) and 'stingy' is found within the leftover letters.
This accounts for all the letters.
This explanation may well be incorrect...
'and' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for stringy that I've seen before include "Old runners can be so" , "(Of food) tough, fibrous" , "Tall, wiry, thin" .)