as in gaunt
being tall, thin and usually loose-jointed
spindly, underfed dogs roamed the poverty-stricken village
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spindly
That’s why arguably one of the most affecting scenes in the film comes when one of those singular shoots meant to make a spectacle of one of Jenna’s outfits (a dark bodysuit with long spindly fingers and a matching insectile headpiece) all but breaks apart.
—
Manuel Betancourt, Variety, 18 Dec. 2024
That evening, Flora and Dani were in the activities room, sitting on spindly chairs, explaining to Gala, Pip, and a handful of others what had happened earlier in the day.
—Sheila Heti, The New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2025
But a few Decembers ago, its branches turned into spindly things where spikes grew instead of leaves.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024
In a polytunnel on the Scottish island of Bute, thousands of spindly Scots pine seedlings are growing.
—Alexa Phillips, WIRED, 16 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for spindly 
Manuel Betancourt, Variety, 18 Dec. 2024
That evening, Flora and Dani were in the activities room, sitting on spindly chairs, explaining to Gala, Pip, and a handful of others what had happened earlier in the day.
—Sheila Heti, The New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2025
But a few Decembers ago, its branches turned into spindly things where spikes grew instead of leaves.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024
In a polytunnel on the Scottish island of Bute, thousands of spindly Scots pine seedlings are growing.
—Alexa Phillips, WIRED, 16 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for spindly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spindly
Adjective
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The three male hostages released last Saturday appeared gaunt and frail, and Israelis reacted with anger and horror at their appearance.—
Kat Lonsdorf,
NPR,
10 Feb. 2025
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Ohad Ben Ami, Eli Sharabi and Or Levy appeared gaunt and frail as they were paraded by the militants on a makeshift stage in Gaza before they were handed over to the Red Cross.—
Michael Rios,
CNN,
9 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The year is already off to a stylish start for Frame, which just dropped a new skinny jean release with Gen Z icon Alix Earle.—
Michelle Lee,
People.com,
6 Feb. 2025
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Its springy fill and skinny body made for an awkward, if not uncomfortable, side sleep.—
Molly Higgins,
WIRED,
1 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
He’s got a whole team scouring the subway for a tall, lanky, besuited man challenging down-on-their-luck strangers to one-on-one ddakji.—
Tony Maglio,
IndieWire,
16 Jan. 2025
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Paul is in his sixties but has a youthful and bohemian air, with a tall, lanky frame, a ponytail down his back, and the tattoos of past lives along the surface of his arms.—
Rachel Kushner,
Harper's Magazine,
2 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Truong makes a strong case for it and goes minimal with thin French tips and daisies peeking out on the corners of each nail for singer Ella Mai.—
Audrey Noble,
Vogue,
18 Feb. 2025
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This draconian action will increase the workload and place new responsibilities on a workforce that is already stretched thin.—
Kathryn Krupnik,
CBS News,
17 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Lift your hips off the ground and place a block underneath your sacrum, the widest, boniest part of your pelvis.—
Cory Martin,
Verywell Health,
16 Oct. 2024
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Differences in Adult Bones That being said, some adults are bonier than others.—
Sam Walters,
Discover Magazine,
3 Nov. 2023
Adjective
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The gangly physicality of Pellerin’s performance also helps keep us guessing about how far Matt will go and whether his victories will hold.—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
3 Sep. 2019
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Bringing a skittish, awkward energy that contrasted with Letterman’s deadpan persona, O’Brien constantly made fun of his own gangly appearance and inappropriateness for the job.—
Ashraf Khalil,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Every three months, Ito, a tall and slender 29-year-old Ngäbe man with HIV embarks on a five-hour trek to the town of Pueblo Nuevo to pick up his antiretroviral medication.—
Adam Williams,
NPR,
11 Jan. 2025
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Gi-hun is initially searching for The Recruiter, played by Gong Yoo, a slender figure in a sharp suit that lured people into the game by playing ddakji in the subway.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
26 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near spindly
Cite this Entry
“Spindly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spindly. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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