What does the cryptic crossword clue "Chewing on something hard: golf ball? (8)" mean?

The wordplay uses a charade (building blocks). TEE (synonym="TEE") + THING (synonym="THING") = TEETHING The answer is TEETHING.

Chewing on something hard: golf ball? (8)

Guardian Cryptic #29645 | 25 Across | 2025-03-18 flower