to spread out
4
3.2
- phrasal verb
- /sprɛd aʊt/
:
abrir
- How much?" She spread out the fingers of both hands on the table.
- arms spread out
- fingers spread out
- legs spread out
Examples
-
Right at his feet, Clara sat with her legs spread out, looking in the same direction.
Fiction book (1997) -
Jacob is breathless as huge wings unfold and spread out to the living room walls.
Fiction book (1990) -
The view was worth the climb, with sky, sea, and village spread out below.
Fiction book (2000) -
Her gray hair was spread out on the pillow around her face.
Fiction book (1994) -
Okay, everybody, spread out, arms-length apart.
-
His hands were spread out, tapping with fine tremors on the desktop.
Fiction book (2000) -
Pulling the tortoiseshell comb from her hair, she shook her head to spread out the curls and tried to relax with positive thoughts.
Fiction book (2002) -
He spread out his arms to embrace his friends as they arrived.
-
The butterfly spread out its colorful wings to take flight.
-
As she stretched on the mat, she spread out her legs to relax.
Synonyms
664
1.6
To put a thin layer over a surface
61
3.2
To extend beyond a surface or edge
30
3.7
To spread out from one point in different directions
15
4.1
To become wider at one end or edge
13
6.7
To turn something outward, especially fingers or toes
9
3.9
To make something reach forward, like an arm or wing
6
3.9
To move outward in a wide, sweeping motion
4
3.0
To move legs or feet outward from the hips
1
3.8
To become wider at one end like a dress or vase
To move outward in many directions to cover a wide area
Antonyms
How Wide
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to turn something outward from the center line' is directly derivable from combining 'spread' (to distribute or extend across a surface) with the directional particle 'out' (away from the interior). This motion/extension pattern is a common, compositional phrasal-verb structure found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
Spread out comes from the image of turning parts away from the middle, like a bird spreading its wings out or someone spreading their toes. That's why it means 'to turn something outward from the center'.