Crossword Genius

Puritanical tea-user soused (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

austere

'puritanical' is the definition.
(thesaurus)

'tea-user soused' is the wordplay.
'soused' indicates an anagram (a drunken or soused version of the letters).
'tea'+'user'='teauser'
'teauser' anagrammed gives 'AUSTERE'.

(Other definitions for austere that I've seen before include "Severe, ascetic" , "severely self-disciplined" , "Stern, grave" , "Severe in manner" , "not of luxury type" .)

I've seen this clue in The Sun.
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