WINCH

Meaning

A machine consisting of a drum on an axle, a friction brake or ratchet and pawl, and a crank handle or prime mover (often an electric or hydraulic motor), with or without gearing, to give increased mechanical advantage when hauling on a rope or cable.

• verbTo use a winch

WINCH as a word-puzzle answer

WINCH is a 5-letter word with 1 vowel (I) and 4 consonants (W, N, C, H). Every letter is distinct, so it rarely punishes a clean opening guess.

It leans on high-frequency letters (I, N), so a strong vowel-and-common-consonant opener tends to light up quickly. Watch for the less-common letter W — saving a guess to test it once the vowels are placed is usually the fastest route.