Illustration of spandrel
- S spandrel 1
spandrel
noun
span·drel
ˈspan-drəl 
variants
or less commonly spandril
1
: the sometimes ornamented space between the right or left exterior curve of an arch and an enclosing right angle
2
: the triangular space beneath the string of a stair
Examples of spandrel in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The ironwork on the railings and lack of a spandrel wall are technological innovations of their time — but only of their time.
—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2026
Instead of empty building space, countless species exhibit physical spandrels thanks to the summation of other useful anatomical features.
—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
12 Feb. 2026
Ultimately, spandrels remind us that what looks like intention or design can sometimes just be the side effect of other instincts – a pattern that emerges, not a strategy that evolved.
—
Bronwyn Thompson,
New Atlas,
7 June 2025
After Friday’s initial gusty winds subsided, firefighters got a better handle on the blaze, which at one point threatened the iconic open-spandrel Bixby Canyon Bridge.
—
Los Angeles Times,
25 Jan. 2022
In a sense, the spandrel is leftover space, a byproduct of building with arches.
—
Melissa Mohr,
The Christian Science Monitor,
27 Dec. 2021
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Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2026
Instead of empty building space, countless species exhibit physical spandrels thanks to the summation of other useful anatomical features.
—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
12 Feb. 2026
Ultimately, spandrels remind us that what looks like intention or design can sometimes just be the side effect of other instincts – a pattern that emerges, not a strategy that evolved.
—
Bronwyn Thompson,
New Atlas,
7 June 2025
After Friday’s initial gusty winds subsided, firefighters got a better handle on the blaze, which at one point threatened the iconic open-spandrel Bixby Canyon Bridge.
—
Los Angeles Times,
25 Jan. 2022
In a sense, the spandrel is leftover space, a byproduct of building with arches.
—
Melissa Mohr,
The Christian Science Monitor,
27 Dec. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Spandrel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spandrel. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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