Seemingly forever

AEONS

["**Hint:** \"Long stretches of time, often used in a poetic sense.\"\n\nThis hint guides the solver toward thinking of words that describe vast periods without directly giving away \"aeons.\" It keeps the focus on the concept of extended time while avoiding repetition of the original clue."]

The clue **"Seemingly forever"** leads to the answer **"AEONS"** through the following reasoning: - **"Seemingly"** suggests that the answer is a word that *appears* to mean "forever" but may not be the most direct synonym. - **"Forever"** is often associated with long periods of time, and **"aeons"** (or "eons") refers to an indefinite and extremely long period, fitting the idea of "forever" in a poetic or exaggerated sense. - The wordplay here is straightforward, as "aeons" is a direct term for vast stretches of time, making it a fitting answer for something that seems eternal. Thus, the clue cleverly hints at the answer by combining the idea of perception ("seemingly") with a word that denotes an immense duration ("aeons").