splays

verb

present tense third-person singular of splay
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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of splays Rogen splays himself, theatrically broken, on the floor. — Eliana Dockterman, Time, 26 June 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for splays
  1. spreads
  2. splits
Verb
  • West Nile virus spreads through the bites of infected mosquitoes.
    — Jessie Baltaxe, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • But when strange, dangerous things begin to happen to the sleeping clientele, Penny must uncover the mystery before the nightmare spreads beyond the store.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of spreads
Verb
  • Rather than one long conveyor, Ford is using a new assembly tree process that splits the vehicle into three sections — front clip, rear clip, and battery deck — which enables better access so more operators can work on the vehicle at the same time.
    — Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Haynes launched a successful coaching program and now splits her time between houses in Palm Coast and Tampa.
    — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of splits

Browse Nearby Words

splaying
splays
spleen
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Cite this Entry

“Splays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/splays. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on splays

Nglish: Translation of splays for Spanish Speakers

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