sinewy

adjective

sin·​ewy ˈsin-yə-wē 

also ˈsi-nə-

1

: full of sinews: such as

a

: tough, stringy

sinewy meat

b

: strong

sinewy arms

2

: marked by the strength of sinews

… a demanding sinewy intelligence …

—Helen Dudar

Synonyms of sinewy

• muscular
• strong
• powerful

Examples of sinewy in a Sentence

The lion has a sinewy body.

a sinewy piece of meat

Recent Examples on the Web

Del Toro, perpetually attuned to the minutiae of process, turns the sinewy logistics of reanimation into a series of referendums on Victor’s humanity. —Justin Chang, New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2025

The photo of Chastain whipping off her jersey, shouting in triumph, her sinewy arms flexed, was immediately historic. —Kansas City Star, 27 Oct. 2025

Stardust Racers, the sinewy roller coaster that towers over Epic Universe, shoots bodies through the sky at more than 60 miles an hour and plunges them toward the surface of the Earth from the height of a 10-story building. —Bianca Bosker, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2025

Once neighbors had amassed a pile of larger items, one of the camp's earliest residents, a sinewy man in his 50s named Tom Rock, walked over and began helping to lift them into the dumpster. —Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 26 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

sinewy

adjective

sin·​ewy ˈsin-yə-wē 

also ˈsin-ə-

1

: full of sinews : stringy

sinewy meat

2

: strong sense 1

sinewy arms