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
Little happens other than chain-smoking, costume changes and interminable shots of color-shifting strobe lighting splaying across the cast’s cheekbones.
—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
19 May 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
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
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
19 May 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
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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Gojko Culibrk Cellphone videos captured thatch-roof structures engulfed in fast-spreading flames across the beachside resort.
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Migrating birds may also be a culprit for spreading the virus, Clifton said.
Verb
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In total, the F4-425 Pro can hold up to a maximum of 120TB of data with the advantage of splitting storage across HDD and NVMe bays so that files for video editing or current projects can be stored on the ultra-fast SSDs, while archive files and backups can be stored on the HDDs.
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That’s sparked complaints of Americanization of the games – essentially splitting the two 45-minute halves into four 22-and-a-half-minute quarters.
Verb
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That same feel-good factor is radiating in Mexico and Canada, with the three host nations unbeaten after two games each, combining for extremely strong vibes across matches and fan festivals.
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In one engraving from van Deventer’s manual, his arm is shown inserted into an empty uterus almost up to the elbow, the engraver’s close, texturing lines transforming his hand into a radiating light within a cavernous female darkness.
Cite this Entry
“Splaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/splaying. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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