as in to spread
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 splay
Folks splayed out on blankets across the grassy lawns, fanned themselves and cooled off with cold beers.
—
Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 29 Sep. 2025
To keep making the most of your grill, try Nosrat’s Joojeh Kebab, where chicken thighs are marinated in yogurt, saffron, and a hit of citrus before being splayed on the barbecue.
—Nina Moskowitz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 Sep. 2025
Plus, the wide toe box let my forefoot splay out in a more natural position, keeping my toes aligned and distributing weight evenly around my foot.
—Kristen Geil, Outside, 22 Sep. 2025
Due to the blunt force of this reentry, the engines in the outer ring of the rocket wanted to get splayed out, the company's chief of propulsion at the time, Tom Mueller, told me for the book Reentry.
—Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for splay
Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 29 Sep. 2025
To keep making the most of your grill, try Nosrat’s Joojeh Kebab, where chicken thighs are marinated in yogurt, saffron, and a hit of citrus before being splayed on the barbecue.
—Nina Moskowitz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 Sep. 2025
Plus, the wide toe box let my forefoot splay out in a more natural position, keeping my toes aligned and distributing weight evenly around my foot.
—Kristen Geil, Outside, 22 Sep. 2025
Due to the blunt force of this reentry, the engines in the outer ring of the rocket wanted to get splayed out, the company's chief of propulsion at the time, Tom Mueller, told me for the book Reentry.
—Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for splay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for splay
Verb
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The idea spread around campus after it was discussed with the Yell Leaders, and the tradition was born that evening.—
Jordy Fee-Platt,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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Reactions to the extraordinary news spread quickly, ranging from surprise to anger at the league itself, according to five people who work inside or closely with the NBA, all of whom were granted anonymity because they were not permitted to speak publicly about the matter.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The teams split the first two games in Toronto.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
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Earlier surveys reflected similar divisions, underscoring a community sharply split over his candidacy.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Splay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/splay. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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