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
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
Brown had a gangly, disproportionate wingspan, great for ball-hawking (in basketball and football) but potentially obstructive to shooting mechanics.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 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
Andy McCullough, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Brown had a gangly, disproportionate wingspan, great for ball-hawking (in basketball and football) but potentially obstructive to shooting mechanics.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 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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Nitibhon, a Thai supermodel, plays her tycoon as comically drab, keeping her gaunt cheeks slack to emphasize her character’s hollowness.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Regina was standing by the window now, looking even more gaunt under the artificial light of the bulb behind her and the faint glow of the sunrise in front, which barely managed to filter through the balcony awning.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Newsom’s lanky frame was folded onto a sofa a bit too low-slung for him.—
Maya Singer,
Vogue,
1 Feb. 2026
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Resist the urge to start seeds earlier than recommended, as seedlings that overstay their welcome indoors become lanky, weak, and are more susceptible to disease.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Genius spans skinny, straight and bootcut styles in medium and dark washes.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
4 Feb. 2026
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Leading the approach to the BMW was a young, skinny deputy named Daniel Robbins, whose father had made his name as the county’s top narcotics cop during the years of full-scale weed prohibition.—
Scott Eden,
Rolling Stone,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Cut yourself a big bouquet and trim spindly, dead or crossing branches to encourage better blooms this spring.—
Jeanette Marantos,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
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These spindly designer picks will look right at home year-round and can elevate a space, inside or out.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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In this region, coyotes are big, rangy animals compared to their western cousins.—
David Zeug,
Outdoor Life,
4 Feb. 2026
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The tattoos flowed down onto his shirtless chest, hollow and hairless, and sleeved a pair of rangy, veiny arms.—
Jonathan Miles,
Harpers Magazine,
27 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
Cite this Entry
“Gangly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gangly. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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