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
In a black-and-white photo that serves as Cyrus’ new profile picture on Instagram, the backlit singer poses in a spindly, avant-garde headpiece while staring directly at the camera — though her face is entirely blacked out by the high contrast of the artwork.
—
Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 17 Mar. 2025
From one specimen’s spindly leg dangled a handwritten tag bearing the year of its death: 1917.
—Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2025
Also prune off low-hanging branches and weak, spindly growth.
—Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Mar. 2025
Two dense clusters of the spindly florals become a bikini-tie top, worn with an open-front catsuit that looks like it was drawn directly onto the models body.
—Leah Dolan, CNN, 4 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spindly
Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 17 Mar. 2025
From one specimen’s spindly leg dangled a handwritten tag bearing the year of its death: 1917.
—Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2025
Also prune off low-hanging branches and weak, spindly growth.
—Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Mar. 2025
Two dense clusters of the spindly florals become a bikini-tie top, worn with an open-front catsuit that looks like it was drawn directly onto the models body.
—Leah Dolan, CNN, 4 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spindly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spindly
Adjective
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The three men appeared gaunt and pale after 16 months in captivity.—
Jerome Socolovsky,
NPR,
8 Feb. 2025
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In the distance, a line of tall gaunt leafless trees becomes visible.—
Ritesh Mehta,
IndieWire,
17 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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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
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As an elder millennial, that meant skinny jeans — the hallmark of my generation.—
Kayla Kitts,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Cops recovered video of the lanky, mustachioed suspect following one of the attacks.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
4 Apr. 2025
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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
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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
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Despite that thinner profile, Corelle says its triple-layered glass plates and bowls are chip- and crack-resistant — a claim that’s backed up with a three-year warranty.—
Clint Davis,
People.com,
7 Apr. 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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Nate leaps into action-hero mode, and the film’s mayhem blowouts include a multi-weapon melee in a restaurant kitchen, leaving our gangly hero horribly burned but quite chipper about it, since his adversary is less fortunate.—
Michael Phillips,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Mar. 2025
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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
Adjective
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With their lanky legs and slender necks, sandhill cranes stand roughly three to four feet tall.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
28 Mar. 2025
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Since the crescent moon is both very slender after the new moon and visible for only a short period in the west above the sunset, it may be sighted on Sunday, March 30, but more likely on Monday, March 31.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spindly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spindly. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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