GANGLY Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

gangly

adjective

ˈgaŋ-glē

Definition of gangly

as in gaunt

being tall, thin and usually loose-jointed a gangly teenager who was born to play varsity basketball

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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 Before Roosevelt, there was 6-foot-4 Abraham Lincoln, a gangly, spindly wrestler who is reputed to have lost only one fight over a dozen years. — Bhumika Tharoor, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026 But a new study published recently in Ecology and Evolution has compiled observations showing that the gangly arachnids (also called harvestmen) have an appetite for flesh—or at least for frog legs. — Jake Buehler, Scientific American, 21 May 2026 In the first half, Jokic was minus-22 when the gangly center was on the court, continuing an alarming trend in the series. — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 24 Apr. 2026 What to know about wood storks These gangly birds are sometimes called flintheads or ironheads because of their distinctive heads and necks. — Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 9 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for gangly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for gangly

Adjective

The group last played a public show on July 18 in Valdosta, Georgia, following an uneven few months where Love appeared gaunt and sang in a raspy, diminished voice.

— Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2026
Apple was widely criticized in the late 2000s for not volunteering more information about Jobs’ health, especially as concerns about his gaunt appearance battered the company’s shares.

— Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of gaunt

Adjective

The lanky 20-year-old power forward is an elite puck transporter (98th percentile for zone entries), has outrageously quick hands and can break games open with his creativity and ability to beat defenders one-on-one.

— Harman Dayal, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Verity ultimately transforms into a tall, lanky monster chasing ThatMob in the dark.

— Owen Carry, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of lanky

Adjective

Elsewhere, Julia Fox erupted on the scene, sporting skinny brows, overly blushed cheeks, black liner and glossed lips, no less.

— Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2026
There were handheld American flags on skinny sticks, midsize ones to display on a wall and majestic formal flags adorned with silky gold fringe.

— Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of skinny

Adjective

The front door opens to a wall of giant spindly cacti masking large south-facing windows.

— Wendy Goodman, Curbed, 19 Sep. 2026
Slowly, the Royal Prince of Hungary, Bohemia, and Croatia gets to his feet and places his spindly arms around the barman, who is old enough to be his father.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of spindly

Adjective

Coach Jeff Hafley has called the rangy 6-foot-4 receiver day to day but said Wednesday Douglas’ ankle wasn’t quite ready for a return to practice.

— David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2026
Tall, agile and rangy, the 6-foot-3, 155-pound Van Dellen believes football isn’t even his best sport.

— Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of rangy

Adjective

BioNxt Solutions is developing a sublingual semaglutide thin-film platform and reported moving its program into active pharmaceutical development in 2026.

— Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 8 Oct. 2026
The launch shows that Innovera can be cut into thin strips and woven without immediately losing its structure.

— Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of thin

Browse Nearby Words

gangling

gangly

gangrene

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“Gangly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gangly. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of gangly

adjective

Example Sentences

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