as in 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 splayed
In one, a baby lies splayed on the pavement after falling from his ride; in another, a baby in blue jeans pulls the cover off a comparatively massive white motorcycle parked on a curb.
—
Theo Belci, Artforum, 2 June 2026
Another ended with lifeless bodies splayed out on the dance floor or slumped in their plates, their blood staining white tablecloths crimson.
—Judy Berman, Time, 27 May 2026
Before this handy feature, passengers would have the whole boarding process held up with their bags splayed out in the aisle, digging out one tiny item.
—Carin Ryan, Travel + Leisure, 20 May 2026
DeChambeau splayed drives right, and putts short, long, wide and all about the tricky Aronimink greens.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 May 2026
The suspect was heavyset and walked with a unique gait, feet splayed apart, as seen in the surveillance video.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Apr. 2026
One moment, she’s splayed across the marquetry top of the dining table.
—Sam Cochran, Architectural Digest, 15 Apr. 2026
His fingers splayed and writhed like a terrible mandible.
—Douglas Stuart, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2026
As the footage continues, the pair falls out of sight behind the white sedan for about a minute before the sedan suddenly speeds away, revealing one man splayed across the ground as the gunman appears to straddle him.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 18 Mar. 2026
Theo Belci, Artforum, 2 June 2026
Another ended with lifeless bodies splayed out on the dance floor or slumped in their plates, their blood staining white tablecloths crimson.
—Judy Berman, Time, 27 May 2026
Before this handy feature, passengers would have the whole boarding process held up with their bags splayed out in the aisle, digging out one tiny item.
—Carin Ryan, Travel + Leisure, 20 May 2026
DeChambeau splayed drives right, and putts short, long, wide and all about the tricky Aronimink greens.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 May 2026
The suspect was heavyset and walked with a unique gait, feet splayed apart, as seen in the surveillance video.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Apr. 2026
One moment, she’s splayed across the marquetry top of the dining table.
—Sam Cochran, Architectural Digest, 15 Apr. 2026
His fingers splayed and writhed like a terrible mandible.
—Douglas Stuart, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2026
As the footage continues, the pair falls out of sight behind the white sedan for about a minute before the sedan suddenly speeds away, revealing one man splayed across the ground as the gunman appears to straddle him.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 18 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for splayed
Verb
-
The pop-up was announced by only one social media post, but word spread.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
9 June 2026
-
Four bedrooms and five bathrooms are spread across roughly 6,200 square feet, where a floating glass staircase connects two switchback-style levels.—
Wendy Bowman,
Robb Report,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Of course, there were scattered other people who came from more rural places, but those communities all went to camp together.—
Michael Schaub,
Oc Register,
8 June 2026
-
Pictures show the metal tube, which was part of the chute, cut open while trash is scattered across the room.—
Alexa Herrera,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
The jackpot hasn’t been hit in more than a month, rolling over since May 2, when tickets in Texas and Florida split a $20 million prize.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
7 June 2026
-
The Stanley Cup Final shifted to Las Vegas for Game 3 with the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes knotted at 1-1 after splitting the opening two games in Raleigh.—
Matt Reigle,
FOXNews.com,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Splayed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/splayed. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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