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
This large mammal walked on long, spindly limbs — almost like a modern ungulate, such as a horse or zebra — yet its legs ended in massive, hooked claws.
—
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 18 Jan. 2026
Focus on removing crossing, touching, weak, or misshapen branches that grow upwards or downwards into other layers, and remove twiggy, spindly growth down the trunk.
—Gemma Johnstone, The Spruce, 18 Jan. 2026
Leaving mats on too long or allowing seedling roots to get too warm can result in weak plant stems and spindly growth.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for spindly
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 18 Jan. 2026
Focus on removing crossing, touching, weak, or misshapen branches that grow upwards or downwards into other layers, and remove twiggy, spindly growth down the trunk.
—Gemma Johnstone, The Spruce, 18 Jan. 2026
Leaving mats on too long or allowing seedling roots to get too warm can result in weak plant stems and spindly growth.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for spindly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spindly
Adjective
-
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
-
The actress and singer modeled a gray pinstriped set including skinny trousers and a sleeveless top which narrowed at the waist and was accented by a thin belt.—
Jaden Thompson,
Footwear News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
As Kenneth enjoys a last skinny dip in the indoor pool, Geert makes some inquiries about flights to countries with no extradition treaties to Belgium.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Also on the good side of things is Sean Bell’s lanky Sir Robin, the not-quite-so-brave, armor-soiling knight.—
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
18 Feb. 2026
-
On February 10, after notching a silver in the men’s classic sprint, Ogden–six feet tall and lanky, with a bushy mustache–broke the solemnity of the medals ceremony.—
Bill Donahue,
Outside,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
To remove the wax, wipe out softened wax with paper towels, add cotton balls to absorb the liquid wax, or let the wax harden and remove it by popping it out with a thin plastic spatula.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
16 Feb. 2026
-
The procedure uses a thin, flexible catheter introduced through a small incision in the femoral artery near the groin.—
MemorialCare,
Oc Register,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
Differences in Adult Bones That being said, some adults are bonier than others.—
Sam Walters,
Discover Magazine,
3 Nov. 2023
Adjective
-
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
-
This dwarf variety produces slender, upright branches that, if left unpruned, put forth a graceful weeping habit.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
16 Feb. 2026
-
There’s a slender streak of humor, dry and combustible as kindling, in the film’s exploration of this absurd domestic setup, which lays out the rigid expectations of women and men alike in a punishingly conservative society.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spindly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spindly. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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