splay
verb
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Definition of splay
(Entry 1 of 3)
splay
nounDefinition of splay (Entry 2 of 3)
splay
adjectiveExamples of splay in a Sentence
Verb
He sat with his legs splayed apart. She splayed her fingers to show off her manicure. His fingers splayed out over the table as he steadied himself.
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Williams’s splayed fingers mirroring Olympia’s outstretched arms with a clear, plastic barrier still separating mother and child. — New York Times, "Starring Serena Williams as Herself," 27 Apr. 2018 The bird balances skillfully on a delicate branch, its wings splayed out against the backdrop of a dark night’s sky, its majestic power frozen for a moment in time by wildlife photographer Steve Mattheis. — Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, "Peep the Stunning Winners of the Audubon Society’s Photo Contest," 6 July 2018 Lakeith Stanfield is elegantly splayed across a small settee in the lobby bar of his tony SoHo hotel. — Allison P. Davis, GQ, "The Bizarre Brilliance of Lakeith Stanfield and Tessa Thompson in Sorry to Bother You," 3 July 2018 The 13 bald eagles were found lifeless on a Maryland farm more than two years ago, many with wings splayed, bodies intact, and talons clenched. — Karin Brulliard And Dana Hedgpeth, baltimoresun.com, "Thirteen bald eagles were found dead in a field in Maryland. This is what killed them.," 20 June 2018 Guided by ultrasound, an incision in Alysha’s uterus exposed the baby’s chest and arms, which the surgeons splayed out, like a gymnast at the end of a routine — chest up, back arched. — Emily Sohn, Washington Post, "A tumor growing on her baby’s heart forced this pregnant mom to make a terrifying choice," 29 Apr. 2018 Press your heels together and splay your knees out so that they are opened up wider than your hips. — Jenny Mccoy, SELF, "A Quick Equipment-Free Butt Workout From Celebrity Trainer Erin Oprea," 27 June 2018 June says in voiceover at the end, splayed out like a crime scene chalk outline and left unblinking on the bed. — refinery29.com, "Handmaid’s Tale," 20 June 2018 Any song, in her voice, turns into a torch song — mature, elegant, restrained, swollen with pathos — made for candlelit stages and a body splayed across a piano, like Michelle Pfeiffer in The Fabulous Baker Boys, except vocally talented. — Allison P. Davis, The Cut, "Jorja Smith Hopes She Isn’t Boring You," 7 June 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Rather than a single cavern with a rectangular opening flap on the top, this hauler unzips around the sides and splays open into two halves, each with a mesh zippered cover. — Ariella Gintzler, Outside Online, "Testing Adventure-Ready Travel Bags from Eagle Creek," 10 May 2018 In a time of postmodern splay, Monk is here to stay. — Giovanni Russonello, New York Times, "At 100, Thelonious Monk Gets a Hero’s Celebration," 30 Oct. 2017 Words in languages current, ancient and legendary splay across its doors, bumpers and hatches, predicting a future in which the people of the world are united. — Danielle Ohl, baltimoresun.com, "Bus trip: A local artist and documentary crew are hunting for a Woodstock icon," 7 July 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'splay.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for splay
splay
verb
English Language Learners Definition of splay
: to move (things, especially your legs, fingers, etc.) out and apart from each other
See the full definition for splay in the English Language Learners Dictionary
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