as in spreading
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 splaying
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
Weah often stayed high, with Miles Robinson splaying out to the right touchline in a traditional right fullback position.
—Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
Bob came out, blinking his eyes hard and closing his big fists tight, splaying his fingers back out in a pink baby starfish.
—Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2025
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 4 Feb. 2026
Weah often stayed high, with Miles Robinson splaying out to the right touchline in a traditional right fullback position.
—Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
Bob came out, blinking his eyes hard and closing his big fists tight, splaying his fingers back out in a pink baby starfish.
—Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for splaying
Verb
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Firefighters were able to contain the fire to a single bus, preventing it from spreading to nearby vehicles.—
Richard Ramos,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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Saturday — the peak day for Easter egg hunts — will see thunderstorms spreading from the southern Plains into the Ohio Valley.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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There’s a shaded patio out there that just begs for long, slow lunch or brunch visits, or splitting a rib-eye steak Diane at night.—
Bud Kennedy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Apr. 2026
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The pair were arguing when the passenger punched the victim in the face, splitting his lip, cops said.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That distinction falls to Becky Shaw (Madeline Brewer), an office worker whom Max is set up with by Suzanna and her sweet but dull husband Andrew (Patrick Ball, radiating kindness).—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
7 Apr. 2026
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The eclipse won’t be visible from Earth — only from the Orion capsule — treating the astronauts to several minutes’ worth of views of the sun’s outermost, radiating atmosphere, the corona.—
Marcia Dunn,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Splaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/splaying. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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