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
Light pruning results in a gangly, unkempt plant by midsummer.
—
Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Apr. 2025
Nate leaps into action-hero mode, and the film’s mayhem blowouts include a multi-weapon melee in a restaurant kitchen, leaving our gangly hero horribly burned but quite chipper about it, since his adversary is less fortunate.
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2025
The character started as a gangly teenager and has matured into a wise warrior.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 12 Dec. 2024
The plant will continue growing in a gangly, unkept way until it is moved to a location with at least 8 hours of direct sunlight.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for gangly
Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Apr. 2025
Nate leaps into action-hero mode, and the film’s mayhem blowouts include a multi-weapon melee in a restaurant kitchen, leaving our gangly hero horribly burned but quite chipper about it, since his adversary is less fortunate.
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2025
The character started as a gangly teenager and has matured into a wise warrior.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 12 Dec. 2024
The plant will continue growing in a gangly, unkept way until it is moved to a location with at least 8 hours of direct sunlight.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for gangly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gangly
Adjective
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In addition to a very gaunt appearance, other symptoms include: Extreme weakness Thin, dry skin with excess skin folds due to loss of fat Sparse, brittle hair that can be easily plucked out 8.—
Jonathan Purtell,
Verywell Health,
13 June 2025
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Recent photos of Bieber out and about show him looking gaunt and disappearing into his clothes.—
Shirley Halperin,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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At a lanky 6-foot-9, Essengue is more of a wing than a center.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
10 July 2025
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Another lanky and elastic player who played that aggressive form of defensive tennis.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
7 July 2025
Adjective
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Right where the mural would be painted are two skinny wall panels between a set of balconies with a metal wall jutting out on the right.—
Meredith G. White,
AZCentral.com,
12 July 2025
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In 2025, the bandage dress is experiencing a resurgence alongside the rise of a new skinny culture, fueled by the popularity of Ozempic and similar GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, as well as social media trends such as SkinnyTok — a diet culture that is widespread on TikTok.—
Renan Botelho,
Footwear News,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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Her long, spindly body operates in an anticipatory arch, her body gliding across the pitch in long, laboured strides until igniting into a blur, a combination of ferocity and grace.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
6 July 2025
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Spiderwort can become spindly in deep shade or dry out in the sun, making partial sun just the spot for it in the South.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
4 June 2025
Adjective
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With two right-handers due up near the bottom of the Nationals’ lefty-heavy lineup, Estrada was called first and worked a 1-2-3 eighth with help from a rangy play by Wade.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 June 2025
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His profile is suited to exploiting the space on the transition: a rangy dribbler out wide with a knack for arriving in dangerous areas to finish.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
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,
12 July 2025
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Many houses, townhomes and apartment buildings in both the city and suburbs have only a few square feet of front yard, or are surrounded by a thin fringe of plantable area.—
Beth Botts,
Chicago Tribune,
12 July 2025
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 21 Jul. 2025.
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