Crossword Genius

Getting winded is so exhilarating (12)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

breathtaking

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'exhilarating' is the definition.
(thesaurus)

'getting winded is' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite see how this works, but
'getting' could be 'taking' ('take' can be a synonym of 'get') and 'taking' is found in the answer.
The remaining letters 'breath' is a valid word which might be clued in a way I don't see.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

'so' is the link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for breathtaking that I've seen before include "Awe-inspiring" , "Causing astonishment" , "Awesome" , "Astounding" , "Moving" .)

I've seen this clue in The Sunday Times.
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