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to splay

to splay

13 6.7
To turn something outward, especially fingers or toes
  • verb
  • /spleɪ/
translation icon : abrir
  • When I'm just walking on a flat pavement with these shoes on, I feel my feet splaying, my toes spraying and I feel them grabbing on the push off.
  • splayed legs
  • splayed fingers

Sunlight goes from, you know, splays out in different colors.

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Examples

  • When the technique is done right, they won't fall off and drop, they will just splay and give you wonderful, wonderful looking lashes.

  • The legs of the early amphibians were splayed out to their sides, and their elbows and knees pointed up.

    Academic text (2003)
  • All right, and if you think it's something else, you can splay your cards out right now.

  • And then what we're going to do is we're just going to splay out the roots.

  • Primates could splay out their pads to create even more contact with the trees.

  • My arms and legs were splayed out against the roof rack.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • The Creature kicks with splayed toes to keep himself afloat and upright.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • The result was unusual; his feet were wide, perhaps splayed from Alpine hikes in search of rare butterflies.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • Some days, Patricia walked with her feet splayed out because Frances said that was how ballerinas walked.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • The boys sat low in chairs, legs splayed out comfortably as they chatted.

Synonyms

to spread
vsto splay
664 1.6

To put a thin layer over a surface

refers specifically to turning parts outward or apart, not general covering or distribution
to spread out
vsto splay
4 3.2

To turn a body part outward from the middle

describes the same action but mainly for limbs and fingers
to turn out
vsto splay
4 3.0

To move legs or feet outward from the hips

is used more for moving limbs or fingers apart rather than just rotation
to flare out
vsto splay
1 3.8

To become wider at one end like a dress or vase

focuses on turning parts outward or apart rather than widening a shape
to spraddle
vsto splay
  • Archaic
8.3

To sit, stand, or move with legs spread wide

applies to any outward turn rather than only sitting or standing postures
to dispread
vsto splay
  • Archaic
9.9

To move outward in many directions to cover a wide area

is about turning parts outward rather than extending widely in many directions

Antonyms

70 3.5

To squeeze something tightly with your hands or teeth

1.8

A way of bending something so one part lies on top of another

How Wide

to fan out
30 3.7
to splay
13 6.7
to spread
664 1.6
to part
241 2.9

Surface Forms

splay infinitive
splayed past
splayed past participle
splaying present participle
splays third person singular

Etymology

Splay means 'to spread' or 'turn outwards', so picture fingers or toes opening wide like a fan. A helpful way to remember it is to think of display, which also shows things 'spread out', and that is why to splay is to spread limbs or parts outward.