as in spreads
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
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of splays
The sneakers feature Altra’s signature FootShape design, which splays at the front to give your toes ample space for natural movement.
—
Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 14 Sep. 2025
Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 14 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for splays
Verb
-
The raw sewage rises to the surface, adding to the unbearable stink, which spreads and worsens with every passing day.—
Eli Sharabi,
Time,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Big Red love spreads all across the Lone Star State, but there’s no city that embraces this sweet and slightly peculiar soda quite like San Antonio.—
Taylor Tobin,
Southern Living,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The tension quickly splits the group.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Hydrogen splits at the anode into protons and electrons.—
Tejasri Gururaj,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Splays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/splays. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share