splays

verb

present tense third-person singular of splay
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.

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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 Rogen splays himself, theatrically broken, on the floor. — Eliana Dockterman, Time, 26 June 2026 Across the boat, a young guy with thin lips and a sweater tied around his shoulders leans back and splays his legs. — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Jan. 2026 The Riverwalk in Fort Lauderdale splays out in full shade from the condo buildings and strips of golden sun. — Eric Barton, Sun Sentinel, 4 Jan. 2026 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, 13 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for splays
  1. spreads
  2. splits
Verb
  • The announcement comes as opposition to data centers spreads across the US, in response to massive projects that have begun development and construction, frequently with little or no input from local residents.
    — Emma Roth, The Verge, 2 Nov. 2026
  • In the morning, just as dawn’s light spreads across the island, Lea McCauley finally closes her eyes.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of spreads
Verb
  • On one side of this debate is economist Gabriel Zucman, a leading advocate for taxing the superrich who splits his time between UC Berkeley and the Paris School of Economics.
    — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Fifty-seven percent favor maintaining diplomatic relations, and the community splits 50% to 48% on whether there should be unrestricted travel to Cuba for all Americans.
    — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of splits

Browse Nearby Words

splaying
splays
spleen
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Cite this Entry

“Splays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/splays. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

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