as in to spread
to cause to move outward and apart
He sat with his legs splayed apart. She splayed her fingers to show off her manicure.
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Recent Examples of splay
Isabelle hops, arms splayed upward, hits the water, and swims to Mom.
—
Gerald Witt, AJC.com, 1 Mar. 2026
Jurors saw a photo of Saxon’s small mattress splayed on a bare concrete floor beside a case of bottled water and some Ensure protein drinks.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 25 Feb. 2026
Judges score the flips and spins, including pretzel-like shapes with skis splayed or crossed, before the skiers pull up at the last split second and slam skis-first into the landing area, kicking up a spray of snow.
—ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026
When an ice storm is in the forecast, support plants with weak branches that are susceptible to splaying or breaking, like arborvitae and 'Sky Pencil' holly.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for splay
Gerald Witt, AJC.com, 1 Mar. 2026
Jurors saw a photo of Saxon’s small mattress splayed on a bare concrete floor beside a case of bottled water and some Ensure protein drinks.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 25 Feb. 2026
Judges score the flips and spins, including pretzel-like shapes with skis splayed or crossed, before the skiers pull up at the last split second and slam skis-first into the landing area, kicking up a spray of snow.
—ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026
When an ice storm is in the forecast, support plants with weak branches that are susceptible to splaying or breaking, like arborvitae and 'Sky Pencil' holly.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for splay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for splay
Verb
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But a rethink of these strategies could be prompted by what happened on the latest of his 516 appearances for the club, spread over 16 years.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2026
-
The hood was spreading, forming its cupped oval.—
John McPhee,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In this game, a Proposer is given a sum of money and invited to choose in what proportion to split it with a Receiver.—
Nikhil Krishnan,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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What is the fairest way to split the cash?—
Jack Murtagh,
Scientific American,
19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Splay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/splay. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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