Crossword Genius

Sort of strength in steel when tempered (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

tensile

'sort of strength' is the definition.

'in steel when tempered' is the wordplay.
'when tempered' is an anagram indicator (I've seen this in other clues).
'in'+'steel'='insteel'
'insteel' anagrammed gives 'TENSILE'.

(Other definitions for tensile that I've seen before include "Capable of being stretched, kind of strength" , "Able to be stretched" , "Relating to stress" , "Capable of stretching" , "Capable of being drawn out or stretched" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.