Synonyms of splaying

splaying

verb

present participle of splay

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.

Related Words

• spreading
• splitting
• radiating
• scattering
• branching
• parting
• diffusing
• dispersing
• fanning (out)
• dissipating
• stemming
• raying
• dispelling
• dividing
• forking
• ramifying
• diverging
• separating
• uncoupling
• unlinking
• unyoking

Dissimilar Words

• connecting
• joining
• linking
• coupling
• uniting

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of splaying

What looks like a bird's tail is a stream of ice flowing northeast all the way out to the ocean, and what appear to be feathers splaying outward from the mountaintop are actually crevasses down the mountain. — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 23 July 2026

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