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
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
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
Verb
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For Monday, the severe weather threat spreads northeast and stretches across the Mississippi Valley up into the Midwest.—
Kyle Reiman,
ABC News,
25 Apr. 2026
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Then, in the next neuron, a dendritic plateau potential causes a widespread voltage change that spreads across the entire dendrite.—
Yasemin Saplakoglu,
Quanta Magazine,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The move also essentially splits the market in states that have legalized weed for both medical and recreational consumers.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
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With a class of 70 students, Schaffer splits the job with his teaching assistants.—
Jocelyn Gecker,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Splays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/splays. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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