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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of splay
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
Tendrils hang loosely in the front, it's pulled to different levels of tautness around her head, and the ends splay out, creating a too-cool-to-care look.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 20 Jan. 2026
The entire western-facing wall of the house is glass—the valley and forest splayed out before us, in every shade of green imaginable.
—Devorah Lev-Tov, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for splay
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
Tendrils hang loosely in the front, it's pulled to different levels of tautness around her head, and the ends splay out, creating a too-cool-to-care look.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 20 Jan. 2026
The entire western-facing wall of the house is glass—the valley and forest splayed out before us, in every shade of green imaginable.
—Devorah Lev-Tov, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for splay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for splay
Verb
-
Phoenix spreads over a whopping 517 square miles, and that’s not even including adjacent towns like Scottsdale and Tempe.—
Chris Malloy,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
14 Apr. 2026
-
The Thirty Years’ War, which was concluded by the Peace of Westphalia, in 1648, spread across mainland Europe and killed some eight million people.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The judge, Wendy Vitter, had split the case into two separate proceedings.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
In the 11th minute, SDFC threatened to take a 2-0 lead when Valakari split a pair of Minnesota defenders before blasting a low attempt from the top of the box.—
Kyle Kensing,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Splay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/splay. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
