as in gaunt
being tall, thin and usually loose-jointed
spindly, underfed dogs roamed the poverty-stricken village
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Recent Examples of spindly
Before Roosevelt, there was 6-foot-4 Abraham Lincoln, a gangly, spindly wrestler who is reputed to have lost only one fight over a dozen years.
—
Bhumika Tharoor, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026
The Sheep’s Head Way sits on one of southwest Ireland’s most spindly peninsulas — just 19 kilometers long and 5 kilometers wide, yet packing 150 kilometers of hill walks inside it.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 4 June 2026
Sheep’s Head Way, Ireland The Sheep’s Head Way sits on one of the most spindly peninsulas in southwest Ireland.
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2026
However, many annuals can become spindly and produce fewer blooms than expected unless they are pinched back.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for spindly
Bhumika Tharoor, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026
The Sheep’s Head Way sits on one of southwest Ireland’s most spindly peninsulas — just 19 kilometers long and 5 kilometers wide, yet packing 150 kilometers of hill walks inside it.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 4 June 2026
Sheep’s Head Way, Ireland The Sheep’s Head Way sits on one of the most spindly peninsulas in southwest Ireland.
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2026
However, many annuals can become spindly and produce fewer blooms than expected unless they are pinched back.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for spindly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spindly
Adjective
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The church’s punishment, however, delivered in front of the congregants, is an eerie ritual performed by a gaunt, severe visitor (Nicholas Hope).—
Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
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Brig is in the Upper Valais, a gaunt and conservative place where the inhabitants speak Walliser German, an Alpine dialect that many Swiss people find unintelligible.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Adjective
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Look just below the pot section of the Big Dipper for three dimmer stars forming a skinny triangle that allegedly outline the Big Bear’s head.—
Mike Lynch,
Twin Cities,
14 June 2026
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Let’s be honest, not everyone loves shorts, and structured, straight or skinny pants are too restricting.—
Gabrielle Porcaro,
Travel + Leisure,
13 June 2026
Adjective
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Gray, a lanky man with a gray mustache, volunteers as a docent at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, just across from Boeing Field.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
12 June 2026
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Green's first two seasons in college went according to script and the lanky downfield threat was as good as advertised, earning first-team All-SEC honors in back-to-back years.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 2026
Adjective
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The water pressure then causes the vehicle to rise and slide on a thin layer of water between the tires and the road, making the driver lose control.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
23 June 2026
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Tree was recognizable for his bright fashion, mullet haircut with prominent bangs, thin mustache and encouraging outlook.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
22 June 2026
Adjective
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Lift your hips off the ground and place a block underneath your sacrum, the widest, boniest part of your pelvis.—
Cory Martin,
Verywell Health,
16 Oct. 2024
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Differences in Adult Bones That being said, some adults are bonier than others.—
Sam Walters,
Discover Magazine,
3 Nov. 2023
Adjective
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Before Roosevelt, there was 6-foot-4 Abraham Lincoln, a gangly, spindly wrestler who is reputed to have lost only one fight over a dozen years.—
Bhumika Tharoor,
The Atlantic,
9 June 2026
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Often called a spider flower or grandfather's whiskers, the tall, gangly plant has spidery pink, purple, or white flowers above seed pods that split open late in the summer.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
9 May 2026
Adjective
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Eschewing fences and pavement in favor of natural footpaths lined with brambles and shrubs, these slender pathways provide epic sea views while leaving the ancestral homes of other animals intact.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
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Credit is due to Spike Lee, who always shows up, and has since Patrick Ewing was a slender rookie and the world was young.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spindly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spindly. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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