1
as in muscular
having muscles capable of exerting great physical force
the lithe, sinewy body of the ballet company's leading male dancer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in brawny
marked by a well-developed musculature
the sinewy arms of the weight lifter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sinewy
The best songs here are lean and sinewy showcases for his backing band, the Dark Clouds.
—
Stephen M. Deusner,
Pitchfork,
11 Mar. 2026
The sinewy champion then cradled his wife, Presleigh, in his arm and kissed her at the front of the 18th green, along the water’s edge.
—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 Mar. 2026
Erivo enters in dark trousers and singlet, her body lean, sinewy, covered in tattoos, her head shorn, nose ringed, fingernails fiendishly extended, a vampire in waiting.
—
Demetrios Matheou,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Feb. 2026
The steppe looks like a sinewy piece of yellow meat.
—
Literary Hub,
23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sinewy
Stephen M. Deusner,
Pitchfork,
11 Mar. 2026
The sinewy champion then cradled his wife, Presleigh, in his arm and kissed her at the front of the 18th green, along the water’s edge.
—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 Mar. 2026
Erivo enters in dark trousers and singlet, her body lean, sinewy, covered in tattoos, her head shorn, nose ringed, fingernails fiendishly extended, a vampire in waiting.
—
Demetrios Matheou,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Feb. 2026
The steppe looks like a sinewy piece of yellow meat.
—
Literary Hub,
23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sinewy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sinewy
Adjective
-
From their beginnings in the early 1990s, Failure have attracted admirers to their muscular, celestial sound, including Tool’s Maynard James Keenan and Paramore’s Hayley Williams.
-
His torso and thighs grow eye-poppingly muscular beneath their skimpy fur-and-leather togs—a development that does not go unnoticed by a warrior named Red Hair, who plucks the young hunk from his post and tosses him into the prime time of the gladiator pit.
Adjective
-
Projections varied in the weeks leading up to the draft with no real consensus among draft analysts, but in the last 24 hours there were strong indications the Clippers would choose Wagler and the Nets would take Brown.
-
Your desire for solitude and introspection is strong during today’s Scorpio moon.
Adjective
-
Labour’s powerful National Executive Committee, which blocked a previous attempt by Burnham to run for parliament, cleared him to stand.
-
The powerful currents of flash floods can carry drivers off the road.
Cite this Entry
“Sinewy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sinewy. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
