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
-
The virus typically spreads through contact with bodily fluids from another person infected with the disease, and family members and health care workers are considered the most at risk.—
Zachary Folk,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
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Andes virus largely spreads to humans who breathe in viral particles found in rodents’ feces, urine, and saliva, and is the only hantavirus known to transmit between people.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
17 May 2026
Verb
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There’s a whole-house generator, central AC/heat, and mini-splits to keep things feeling comfortable no matter the weather.—
Clio Chang,
Curbed,
17 May 2026
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Once it’s discovered that there’s a contingent of hostile infiltrators and not just one, the action splits between the cops in town and Sung-ki and his buddies in the mountainside forest, where Na steers the story deeper into classic sci-fi territory.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Splays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/splays. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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