to spread-eagle
- phrasal verb
- /ˈsprɛdˌiɡəl/
- The large estate spread-eagles across the entire valley, touching several neighboring villages.
Examples
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The new railway line will soon spread-eagle the region with tracks and stations.
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The new bridge will spread-eagle across the river, providing easy access to both sides.
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His influence spread-eagled far beyond the company, reaching into politics and education.
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The bird spread-eagled its wings to take flight.
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He loves to spread-eagle on the grass.
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With its wings fully spread-eagle, the eagle soared majestically over the mountains.
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The artist decided to spread-eagle the colors across the canvas to create a vibrant effect.
Synonyms
To put a thin layer over a surface
To go across an area or distance
To extend across a large area or long distance
To spread out over a large area in an untidy way
To arrange or unfold things so they cover a larger area
Form a layer across a surface, like fog or icing
To reach across an area so parts are on both sides
To continue for a long distance along a narrow area
Move across a surface and cover it, like mist or color
Antonyms
How Wide
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Spread-eagle can mean to stretch out over a wide area, like an eagle flying with spread 'wings' across the sky. That is why we say something can spread-eagle across land or reach far and wide.