as in gaunt
being tall, thin and usually loose-jointed
a gangly teenager who was born to play varsity basketball
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gangly
The reasons are partly anthropomorphic — these large, gangly birds are fiercely protective of their young, and the fathers stay behind to rear the chicks after the mothers fly on to central Mexico or some other wintering grounds.
—
Krista Stevens, Longreads, 8 July 2024
Dern is volcanic, her movements childlike and untamed in their gangly abrasiveness.
—Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 8 May 2024
So named for his gangly appearance by teammates at Miami, the Hall of Fame linebacker spent one all-pro season with the Packers in 1974.
—Journal Sentinel, 27 Jan. 2024
Eventually, the group’s number is reduced to one: a gangly, smart-mouthed junior named Angus Tully, played by newcomer Dominic Sessa in an exceptionally impressive debut.
—Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 1 Nov. 2023
See All Example Sentences for gangly
Krista Stevens, Longreads, 8 July 2024
Dern is volcanic, her movements childlike and untamed in their gangly abrasiveness.
—Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 8 May 2024
So named for his gangly appearance by teammates at Miami, the Hall of Fame linebacker spent one all-pro season with the Packers in 1974.
—Journal Sentinel, 27 Jan. 2024
Eventually, the group’s number is reduced to one: a gangly, smart-mouthed junior named Angus Tully, played by newcomer Dominic Sessa in an exceptionally impressive debut.
—Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 1 Nov. 2023
See All Example Sentences for gangly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gangly
Adjective
-
The three men appeared gaunt and pale after 16 months in captivity.—
Jerome Socolovsky,
NPR,
8 Feb. 2025
-
In the distance, a line of tall gaunt leafless trees becomes visible.—
Ritesh Mehta,
IndieWire,
17 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Cops recovered video of the lanky, mustachioed suspect following one of the attacks.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
4 Apr. 2025
-
Photo: Courtesy Everett Collection In Elijah Bynum’s coming-of-age crime drama, a lanky loner is sent away to Cape Cod to spend the summer with his aunt.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The TikTok comments were replete with speculation that the friends may have even been skinny dipping—though Horton declined to confirm this.—
Gordon G. Chang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Apr. 2025
-
After what feels like years of obsessing over eyebrow trends (skinny, perfectly bushy, bleached) to treatments like lamination and microblading, learning to love the unruly swirls that appear in our brows just feels right.—
Dulce Moncada,
Glamour,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Okay, okay — even though my spindly frame and past-his-prime age both immediately disqualify me from membership in this band of bodacious biceps, I am intrigued.—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
3 Apr. 2025
-
The eyes in the sky gazed down on a copse of spindly trees in western Russia, hooking onto where North Korean forces were coalescing, a Ukrainian special operations forces commander, who is being identified only by his call sign, Green, told Newsweek.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Elsewhere on defense, Porter is a rangy and athletic zone corner with strong ball skills.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Apr. 2025
-
Meanwhile, Granada’s rangy infield gave Pittsburg fits.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The water pressure then causes the vehicle to rise and slide on a thin layer of water between the tires and the road, making the driver lose control.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2025
-
The Land-Dweller comes in 36 mm and 40 mm sizes, both just 9.7 mm thin.—
Steven Rogers,
Robb Report,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
Differences in Adult Bones That being said, some adults are bonier than others.—
Sam Walters,
Discover Magazine,
3 Nov. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Gangly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gangly. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share