This clue appeared in the NYT Crossword on Thursday, October 15, 2026 (53 Across). The answer is hidden below until you want it. Thursday puzzles often have a trick, such as a rebus (several letters in one square) or answers that bend the rules.
How to read this clue
The question mark warns of wordplay. Expect a pun or a second meaning rather than a straight definition.
Answer length: 5 squares
First letter
S _ _ _ _
First and last letters
S _ _ _ W
Show the answer
About the answer
SINEW as a word: (figuratively) Muscular power, muscle; nerve, nervous energy; vigor, vigorous strength; (figuratively, often in the plural) That which gives strength or in which strength consists; a supporting factor or member; mainstay.
SINEW has been an answer 4 times in the NYT Crossword and Mini since August 28, 2026.
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