Crossword Genius

Back muscles twitch as lieutenant starts questioning (9)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

sceptical

'questioning' is the definition.
(I know that questioning can be written as sceptical)

'back muscles twitch as lieutenant starts' is the wordplay.
'back' is a reversal indicator.
'muscles' becomes 'pecs' (short for pectoral muscles).
'twitch' becomes 'tic' (tic is a kind of twitch).
'starts' says to take the initial letters.
The first letters of 'as lieutenant' is 'al'.
'pecs' backwards is 'scep'.
'scep'+'tic'+'al'='SCEPTICAL'

(Other definitions for sceptical that I've seen before include "Doubtful" , "Inclined to disbelieve, not convinced" , "dubious" , "Doubting or disbelieving" , "Inclined not to believe" .)

I've seen this clue in The Daily Express.
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