as in to spread
to cause to move outward and apart
He sat with his legs splayed apart. She splayed her fingers to show off her manicure.
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Recent Examples of splay
From around the curve of the tree came the first pygmy marmoset, skimming along the surface, limbs and tail splayed against the trunk.
—
Jessica Camille Aguirre, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Jan. 2025
The Athletic Revives feature a wide toe box, which also allowed my angry toes to splay out and relax.
—Joe Jackson, Outside Online, 13 Sep. 2024
The Presence then looks below to see their motionless bodies splayed in the driveway.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 25 Jan. 2025
Mars, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune will all be visible at the same time, splayed out across the night sky in a huge arc.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for splay
Jessica Camille Aguirre, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Jan. 2025
The Athletic Revives feature a wide toe box, which also allowed my angry toes to splay out and relax.
—Joe Jackson, Outside Online, 13 Sep. 2024
The Presence then looks below to see their motionless bodies splayed in the driveway.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 25 Jan. 2025
Mars, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune will all be visible at the same time, splayed out across the night sky in a huge arc.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for splay
Cite this Entry
“Splay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/splay. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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