How to Use splay in a Sentence

splay

1 of 2 verb
  • He sat with his legs splayed apart.
  • His fingers splayed out over the table as he steadied himself.
  • She splayed her fingers to show off her manicure.
  • The arms were splayed overhead, the back was arched and the feet were curled to the right.
    Author: John Branch, Anchorage Daily News, 19 Dec. 2017
  • Nana Rose is splayed at the bottom of the stairs (but not dead)!
    Jessica MacLeish, Teen Vogue, 22 Mar. 2018
  • The man’s feet were splayed against the pink tile on either side of the spigot.
    Jamie Quatro, The New Yorker, 31 July 2023
  • So, at this point, the three big floor joists were splayed out into the air.
    Ryan D'agostino, Popular Mechanics, 23 Jan. 2019
  • Raise your hands above your head with your fingers splayed and the band wide.
    Stephanie Mansour, NBC News, 11 Jan. 2020
  • The vehicle sped off with Zacharias splayed across the hood.
    Katherine Itoh, NBC News, 3 Feb. 2024
  • If nails get too long, over time that can cause your dog's paws to splay.
    Stephen C. George, Discover Magazine, 4 Aug. 2023
  • The last offers a wider forefoot to let the foot splay out across the pedal.
    Tim Newcomb, Forbes, 16 Sep. 2021
  • But the best part is the one long, thick, platonic strip of bacon splayed over the top.
    Priya Krishna, Bon Appétit, 12 Nov. 2019
  • And the super-roomy toe box allowed my feet to splay out with each step.
    Joe Jackson, Outside Online, 26 Apr. 2019
  • His frozen arms were bent at the elbows and splayed downhill over his head.
    Krista Stevens, Longreads, 20 Dec. 2017
  • The 28-year-old ran out the store and saw a man in a blue shirt splayed on the asphalt of 61st Street, blood pooling around his head.
    Alice Yin, chicagotribune.com, 1 July 2019
  • The unfairness of it all; the unjustness of it all; the pain of her worst pain splayed out for all to see.
    Angela Helm, The Root, 9 Jan. 2018
  • His bobbing body, with arms splayed, looked for a moment like a corpse, or like Christ on the cross.
    Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 14 Oct. 2019
  • My toes splayed out onto the sand, the ground below me, shifting.
    Suzanne Roberts, Longreads, 15 July 2019
  • June says in voiceover at the end, splayed out like a crime scene chalk outline and left unblinking on the bed.
    refinery29.com, 20 June 2018
  • Huseynov stared at his big, work-swollen shepherd’s hands splayed palm down on the worn tablecloth.
    Paul Salopek, National Geographic, 17 July 2019
  • Footage then shows the man splayed on the ground, cuffed, wearing a white sneaker on his right foot and a gunshot to his left foot.
    Gal Tziperman Lotan, OrlandoSentinel.com, 31 May 2017
  • His feet splayed slightly outward and his gait was even and measured, the pace of a man of purpose.
    Scott Johnson, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 July 2023
  • The brand’s logo motifs are splayed throughout the chest and shoulder of the jersey top too.
    Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 22 Aug. 2023
  • Press your heels together and splay your knees out so that they are opened up wider than your hips.
    Jenny McCoy, SELF, 27 June 2018
  • The next photo showed Malcolm lying on the streets of New York City, legs splayed as his dad stared down at him.
    Angela Andaloro, Peoplemag, 24 Nov. 2023
  • Fifty men now lie supine on the floor, their arms splayed out messianically to the side.
    Barrett Swanson, Harper's magazine, 28 Oct. 2019
  • The wolf’s chest is super narrow; the legs are closer together, and the feet may splay out.
    Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2019
  • Limbs unfurl and slice, hands and feet flex and point, fingers splayed or curled inward like claws.
    Karen Campbell, BostonGlobe.com, 21 Apr. 2018
  • The deer was seen lying down with all its extremities splayed out.
    Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Fox News, 30 Nov. 2023
  • Hill served the bird over peppery cheddar grits, with pickled green tomatoes splayed alongside.
    Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2024
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splay

2 of 2 noun
  • The tip splay is more pronounced than any ski in the test.
    Marc Peruzzi, Outside Online, 9 Jan. 2022
  • The Chagossians bent to their knees and kissed the sand, leaving a splay of palm prints.
    Cullen Murphy, The Atlantic, 15 June 2022
  • The shoe is snug in the heel but wide in the forefoot, allowing for toe splay and blood flow.
    Cory Smith, Outside Online, 27 May 2022
  • Fit is true-to-size, with enough room in the toe box to allow for a natural toe splay over the wide sole.
    Cory Smith, Outside Online, 18 Oct. 2022
  • Peonies fall victim to spring storms; stems splay or break and cannot be righted.
    Adrian Higgins, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2021
  • Three easy exercises are the short foot, foot splay and toe yoga.
    Jonathan Beverly, Outside Online, 4 Jan. 2022
  • The upper fit was found true to size and the toe box ample for most, but not wide enough for those who count on full splay or who have a high volume foot.
    Adam Chase, Outside Online, 27 Apr. 2020
  • To crown it all: an erupting splay of salad greens, the most flamboyant staging of frisée and red oak lettuce in town.
    Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2019
  • Tall stalks of foam bend and splay to the human form, so object and sitter, together, make a unique, changing sculpture.
    Brian T. Allen, National Review, 29 Feb. 2020
  • Words in languages current, ancient and legendary splay across its doors, bumpers and hatches, predicting a future in which the people of the world are united.
    Danielle Ohl, baltimoresun.com, 7 July 2017
  • Explanations for the whys and hows this happened splay every direction.
    Tom Noie, Indianapolis Star, 14 Jan. 2020
  • Rather than a single cavern with a rectangular opening flap on the top, this hauler unzips around the sides and splays open into two halves, each with a mesh zippered cover.
    Ariella Gintzler, Outside Online, 10 May 2018
  • Fans of zero-drop shoes that accommodate full toe splay will enjoy this comfy number.
    Cory Smith, Outside Online, 10 June 2022
  • On the one hand, testers appreciated the rather voluminous fit for its comfort and natural toe-splay.
    Cory Smith, Outside Online, 18 Oct. 2022
  • From the looks of the video, multiple vents were erupting from the New Southeast Crater, producing a splay of lava fountains during this intense strombolian eruption.
    Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 3 Dec. 2013
  • These are super lightweight and flexible kicks with a zero drop, designed to help improve natural running and walking form and toe splay.
    Locke Hughes, NBC News, 11 Jan. 2019
  • These are super lightweight and flexible kicks with a zero drop, designed to help improve natural running and walking form, and toe splay.
    NBC News, 11 Jan. 2019
  • In the trilogy, there is also a landscape crop of three very similar-looking male models, two of which are wearing what look like chainlink skirts, while a third splays on the floor of a gray set, donning a tailored coat of the same colour.
    Eliza Huber, refinery29.com, 16 Jan. 2020
  • As expected from Altra, the toe box is wide enough for full splay and combines with the zero-drop geometry for a stable, natural, balanced platform.
    Adam Chase, Outside Online, 13 Jan. 2022
  • Merrell designed this pair specifically for women, with our specific toe splay, hip width, and arch propensities in mind.
    Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Apr. 2022
  • While true to Altra’s natural running formula of equal cushioning heel to toe with plenty of toe-splay room in the forefoot, the Provision 5 is not minimalist.
    Adam Chase, Outside Online, 16 June 2021
  • Included among the script pages, images, and notes is a series of engravings in which cartoons from Disney’s kiddie canon—a splay-legged Bambi, Geppetto with Pinocchio in his arms—are visible.
    Marley Marius, Vogue, 10 Jan. 2022
  • If anything, Boston Dynamics’ splay across dance and Darpa mirrors the origins of ballet as an outgrowth of 17th-century French colonial ambitions.
    Sydney Skybetter, Wired, 8 July 2021
  • The upper also provides a more generous fit than other Skechers, accommodating those looking for a wider forefoot and toe splay.
    Adam Chase, Outside Online, 19 May 2021
  • The fit accommodates wide feet and allows for forefoot splay, while wrapping and supporting comfortably and securely.
    Jonathan Beverly, Outside Online, 4 May 2020
  • The toe-splay-accommodating fit provides a comfortable, connected and stable feel.
    Adam Chase, Outside Online, 4 June 2021
  • The tip splay is more pronounced than any ski in the test.
    Marc Peruzzi, Outside Online, 9 Jan. 2022
  • The Chagossians bent to their knees and kissed the sand, leaving a splay of palm prints.
    Cullen Murphy, The Atlantic, 15 June 2022
  • The shoe is snug in the heel but wide in the forefoot, allowing for toe splay and blood flow.
    Cory Smith, Outside Online, 27 May 2022
  • Fit is true-to-size, with enough room in the toe box to allow for a natural toe splay over the wide sole.
    Cory Smith, Outside Online, 18 Oct. 2022

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'splay.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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