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
Making the most of his spindly body and LaGuardia High School–bred smirk, Chalamet uses his inescapable boyishness completely to his advantage, bringing an immature audacity to the classic in-over-his-head operator.
—
Joe Reid, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
The Hektoria Glacier, roughly the size of Philadelphia, is on the Antarctic Peninsula, a spindly chain of mountains sticking off the continent like a thumb pointing toward South America.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
Her 2019 look featured spindly trees and orange lighting that helped set the mood.
—Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
The mountains on either side of the water give way to towering canyon walls, spruce and pine thin out, and only stout dwarf willow and spindly alder remain.
—Chloe Berge, AFAR Media, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spindly
Joe Reid, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
The Hektoria Glacier, roughly the size of Philadelphia, is on the Antarctic Peninsula, a spindly chain of mountains sticking off the continent like a thumb pointing toward South America.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
Her 2019 look featured spindly trees and orange lighting that helped set the mood.
—Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
The mountains on either side of the water give way to towering canyon walls, spruce and pine thin out, and only stout dwarf willow and spindly alder remain.
—Chloe Berge, AFAR Media, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spindly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spindly
Adjective
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During the conversation, Van Der Beek opened up about the overwhelming response to his gaunt appearance during September's Dawson's Creek reunion.—
Rachel McRady,
PEOPLE,
19 Dec. 2025
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Van Der Beek's notably gaunt face sparked speculation about his condition amid his cancer battle.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
19 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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The comfort waist is offered in a variety of models including skinny, flare and bootcut.—
Jean E. Palmieri,
Footwear News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Kate swapped her Holland Cooper jacket for an olive green Dubarry of Ireland utility jacket, matching turtleneck, brown scarf, and brown skinny jeans.—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Toward the end of February trim lanky plants back and continue the water and fertilizer applications.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 Jan. 2026
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Starting too early causes seedlings to grow tall and lanky with weak stems.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Once markets started moving lower, thin liquidity intensified such price movements, according to several analysts who provided input for this article.—
Charles Lloyd Bovaird II,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Brush top of crust with egg, then sprinkle remaining ⅓ cup sliced almonds over in a thin layer.—
Jesse Szewczyk,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Jan. 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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War was coming, but for her father, Eberhard, then a gangly teenager, life in Hawaii was an endless summer.—
David Martin,
CBS News,
7 Dec. 2025
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Almost immediately, the long legs, tail, and gangly frame didn’t match that breed.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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New York — At the base of the world’s most slender skyscraper, stretching high above Billionaires’ Row in Manhattan, Bonhams will relocate its American headquarters next month.—
Jacqui Palumbo,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
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To activate the campaign, Loewe launched a lantern festival at Nanjing‘s historical Yuyuan Garden, featuring adorable mascots such as the whimsical platypus, a contemplative horse, and a slender deer.—
Denni Hu,
Footwear News,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spindly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spindly. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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