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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Recent Examples of splays
The carrier unzips and splays out into hanging storage for your beauty items.
—
Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 11 Oct. 2025
Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 11 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for splays
Verb
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Then there's the way the virus spreads.—
Katie Rife,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Oct. 2025
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Celebrity guest Jonathan Groff spreads good cheer, pairing up with contestants to compete against Fallon and his teammate in a festive edition of the iconic celebrity word game.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Fission splits the nuclei of atoms to create power while fusion causes hydrogen nuclei to collide and fuse into helium atoms that release incredible amounts of energy — essentially replicating the power of the sun.—
Rob Nikolewski,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Oct. 2025
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The lineup splits evenly between Indonesian talent and international helmers, with each duo sharing writing and directing duties.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Splays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/splays. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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