as in gaunt
being tall, thin and usually loose-jointed
a gangly teenager who was born to play varsity basketball
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gangly
The gangly frame that should not be able to stand, propped up by rods unseen in the dark.
—
Matthew Korfhage, Wired News, 30 Oct. 2025
An injured knee sidelined Misiorowski for the season, but Lallemand still considered the gangly teenager part of the team.
—Andy McCullough, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Between them, the gangly mods kept alive the fading tradition of feuding musical geniuses, a path that Paul McCartney and John Lennon had paved before them.
—Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2025
Indeed, at 6-foot-5 but hiding it under a gangly posture, the Australian star can seem younger than his 28 years.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gangly
Matthew Korfhage, Wired News, 30 Oct. 2025
An injured knee sidelined Misiorowski for the season, but Lallemand still considered the gangly teenager part of the team.
—Andy McCullough, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Between them, the gangly mods kept alive the fading tradition of feuding musical geniuses, a path that Paul McCartney and John Lennon had paved before them.
—Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2025
Indeed, at 6-foot-5 but hiding it under a gangly posture, the Australian star can seem younger than his 28 years.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gangly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gangly
Adjective
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As Alpha waits for the results of blood tests, she is startled by the sudden appearance of a gaunt, jittery stranger in their apartment.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
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Lie’s Evans is gaunt and distant, a shy man hidden behind a veil of cigarette smoke, unable to process — or even express — his grief.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The lanky 73-year-old paddled the river five days in a row in late March, guiding vacationing couples, families and university students, many of them on their first run of the Rio Grande.—
Lauren Villagran,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
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The Miami Marlins’ lanky, 6-8, hopeful ace of the future fired his first four-seam fastball to Jake McCarthy at 98 mph.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Keep reading for what shoes go best with white skinny jeans right now.—
Alex Sales,
Glamour,
27 Mar. 2026
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Her neutral-toned, matte-finish makeup, strappy black tank top, and skinny sunglasses are also very ‘90s, so thanks for the weekend glam inspo, Selena!—
Kara Nesvig,
Allure,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Known as the night-blooming cereus, the plant spends most of the year blending into the desert as a spindly, stick-like shrub.—
Dante Motley,
Austin American Statesman,
22 Mar. 2026
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Once a spindly but speedy left midfielder, the 25-year-old Ahmed has developed into a tactically astute and fearless attacking player who has adapted to the physical English Championship with Norwich City far quicker than expected.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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While his ball production totaled just two interceptions during his career, his ability to play as a rangy deep safety forced opposing quarterbacks to keep things underneath with his top-end services looming downfield.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Mar. 2026
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There may not be a team embodying the discrepancy between record and reality more than the New Orleans Pelicans, home base for the ever-so polarizing talent that is Zion Williamson, plus a hodgepodge of rangy, versatile athletes at all five positions.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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While that advice refers primarily to metal utensils, the same principles apply across materials, especially where thin construction can increase the risk of breakage.—
Darlin Tillery,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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Not only did that article form the basis of the film, but Lumet actually took the note and cast Pacino in the role of that dark, thin fellow.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
31 Mar. 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
Cite this Entry
“Gangly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gangly. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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