as in flexible
able to bend easily without breaking
the rattan's stems are split into willowy staves that are woven together to produce exquisite baskets
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Recent Examples of willowy
Her willowy frame takes a tremendous battering as brutes slam her into tables and through walls.
—
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025
Only two bodies remain still: Ferran’s, in one corner of the platform, and that of a young man (Jabez Sykes) diagonally across from her, tall and willowy and pale — two statues that seem moonlit while the rest of the world writhes and sweats around them.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 11 Mar. 2025
Just who was this willowy blond from Iowa City, Iowa?
—Gia Kourlas, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025
Michelle Troconis, the 49-year-old Venezuelan socialite who was convicted on Friday for conspiracy to commit murder, is tall, willowy, and as beautiful as a newscaster.
—Rich Cohen, airmail.news, 2 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for willowy
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025
Only two bodies remain still: Ferran’s, in one corner of the platform, and that of a young man (Jabez Sykes) diagonally across from her, tall and willowy and pale — two statues that seem moonlit while the rest of the world writhes and sweats around them.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 11 Mar. 2025
Just who was this willowy blond from Iowa City, Iowa?
—Gia Kourlas, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025
Michelle Troconis, the 49-year-old Venezuelan socialite who was convicted on Friday for conspiracy to commit murder, is tall, willowy, and as beautiful as a newscaster.
—Rich Cohen, airmail.news, 2 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for willowy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for willowy
Adjective
-
There was experimental literature in which the role of the author could be tweaked; in popular fiction, authorship could be a flexible concept.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
-
According to experts, someone can be easygoing without being passive, or flexible while also staying engaged.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
That fall, an old friend reached out to my father through the underground communications network, dialling a number printed on a faded piece of plastic Dymo tape and speaking to him from a public phone booth.—
Zayd Ayers Dohrn,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Cate Charron Several plastic tubs filed with boxes and plastic grocery bags sit on the ground with paper signs, separating clothing, drawstring bags, hygiene products and food.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The dough is topped moderately so the sauce and toppings don’t make the crust soggy or floppy.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Graham later donned a floppy Wallaroo canvas sunhat and oversized black cat-eye Le Specs sunglasses while lounging in beach chairs with Civetta, who shielded his eyes with black shades.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The endgame could also involve replacing hardliners with more pliant leaders; Mojtaba Khamenei, appointed to fill his late father’s shoes, isn’t likely to succeed.—
Michael M. Rosen,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
-
But whether that would make Tehran more pliant, let alone spur regime change, is questionable.—
Ramin Mostaghim,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Two ultra-limber actors — Hassiem Muhammad and Ryan Sellers — in garish body makeup (and dance shoes) merge limbs and psyches for an electric demonstration of poetry in motion.—
Peter Marks,
Washington Post,
26 Jan. 2023
-
For thousands of years, people have turned to yoga to feel more limber, release stress and rejuvenate their overall physical and mental health.—
Forrest Brown,
CNN,
21 June 2022
Cite this Entry
“Willowy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/willowy. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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