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
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
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
See All Example Sentences for sinewy
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
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
See All Example Sentences for sinewy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sinewy
Adjective
-
As the researchers point out, there’s solid evidence that aerobic exercise primarily increases cardiovascular fitness while resistance exercise primarily increases muscular strength.—
Alex Hutchinson,
Outside,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Battle Cat Crafted with collector-level detail, this figure features a screen-accurate design inspired by the live-action film, highlighted by a muscular sculpt, lifelike glass eyes, and a posable jaw.—
Gerrad Hall,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The aging expert later developed other biological aging clocks, including models shown in studies to be strong predictors of mortality risk.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
4 Feb. 2026
-
By Monday, any lingering concerns about Warsh or his history of hawkishness had been largely put aside as Wall Street turned its attention to surprisingly strong US manufacturing data.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But at the same time, [the Gates Foundation’s spend-down announcement] has ended up being a very powerful call to action, both for our staff and for many of our partners.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
6 Feb. 2026
-
These concerns are sharpened by the shadow of Epstein, whose connections to powerful figures continue to surface.—
Lauryn Overhultz , Ashley Papa , Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sinewy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sinewy. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
