sinewy

adjective

ˈsin-yə-wē How to pronounce sinewy (audio)
Definition of sinewynext
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 Theron, meanwhile, hurls herself into the sinewy action sequences that have increasingly been her home turf over the past two decades, flinging herself down hills and into rivers and navigating some precarious rock-climbing terrain. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2026 That brisk storytelling economy is a good fit for Theron’s own terse, sinewy performance style. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 23 Apr. 2026 On a street lined with sinewy banyan trees in Taipei’s Songshan District, school administrator Huang Huiming agrees that Beijing’s bet might not pan out. — Ann Scott Tyson, Christian Science Monitor, 13 Apr. 2026 Alongside their sinewy body form, the ancestors of seagrass carried with them from dry land two useful features that no sea creature possessed. — David George Haskell, Big Think, 27 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sinewy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sinewy
  1. muscular
  2. strong
  3. powerful
Adjective
  • Breed standards describe these substantial cats as having a muscular, rectangular body with a broad chest, large paws and a long, flowing tail.
    — Pat Mueller, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Design-wise, the EX2S features a compact streetfighter stance with an aggressive headlight housing, a muscular central body, and exposed structural elements.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of muscular
Adjective
  • Reese missed badly on the layup attempt, but her strong play sparked an Atlanta Dream rally before halftime.
    — Michael Cunningham, AJC.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Historically, the strongest predictor of a recruiting boom has been a weak economy.
    — Steven Beynon, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of strong
Adjective
  • Immediately after that, a powerful blast rips through the street.
    — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
  • McLaurin, the nominee for lieutenant governor, is trying to become the first Democrat to win the powerful seat since Mark Taylor left office in 2007.
    — David Wickert, AJC.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of powerful

Browse Nearby Words

sinew(s)
sinewy
sinfonietta
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sinewy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sinewy. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on sinewy

Nglish: Translation of sinewy for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of divulge

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All