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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in brawny
marked by a well-developed musculature
the sinewy arms of the weight lifter
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sinewy
The crowd is sinewy and sporty.
—
Grainne McBride, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
This sinewy rock version was recorded by the band in 1975 at a show in New York and remains a live favorite.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025
These free agents have come to train with and learn from a sinewy 61-year-old Super Bowl champion who played 23 seasons in the NFL.
—Dan Robson, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for sinewy
Grainne McBride, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
This sinewy rock version was recorded by the band in 1975 at a show in New York and remains a live favorite.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025
These free agents have come to train with and learn from a sinewy 61-year-old Super Bowl champion who played 23 seasons in the NFL.
—Dan Robson, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for sinewy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sinewy
Adjective
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Nile monitors possess razor-sharp claws and a lengthy muscular tail, aren’t afraid to bite or scratch humans, and can exploit practically any terrain to escape.—
Ryan Brennan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Mar. 2026
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The goal is added muscular demand without distorted movement.—
Dana Santas,
CNN Money,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Boko Haram has since become stronger, with thousands of fighters and different factions, including the Islamic State West Africa Province, which is backed by the Islamic State group.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
18 Mar. 2026
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That kind of political intrusion does not make families safer or stronger.—
Austen Erblat,
CBS News,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Yet launching a conversation around mental health with an audience magnet as powerful as Radcliffe is on balance an excellent thing.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
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But generating stable and powerful light in this region has proven difficult because most materials strongly absorb it.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sinewy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sinewy. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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