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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With an Illinois assistant in attendance to watch Johnson, the 5-foot-9 Hartman ran the offense with precision, steadying her teammates and spreading the floor with her ball movement.—
Bobby Narang,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Feb. 2026
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The organization also reported that ALS often begins in the hands, feet, arms or legs before spreading to other parts of the body.—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The robots were able to self-organize and divide tasks on their own, including splitting into teams to tackle separate fire outbreaks.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Feb. 2026
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Although the servicing stop for the California Zephyr is too short to explore beyond the platform, Denver is a great overnight choice for passengers splitting up the 43-hour journey.—
Iona Brannon,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Air isn't as efficient as water or steam for storing and radiating heat.—
Lee Wallender,
The Spruce,
17 Feb. 2026
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Paved surfaces get hotter than those with plantings, absorbing and radiating out the sun’s energy rather than converting it into plant growth, which in turn creates shade.—
Meg Tanaka,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Splaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/splaying. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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