spindly

adjective

ˈspin(d)-lē How to pronounce spindly (audio)
Definition of spindlynext
as in gaunt
being tall, thin and usually loose-jointed spindly, underfed dogs roamed the poverty-stricken village

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 spindly But, a year later, a bright-red humanoid—swinging a pair of spindly arms for balance—beat all twelve thousand human competitors and broke the world record. — Evan Osnos, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026 Yes, this is the fourth Spider-Man installment starring Tom Holland as the spindly hero, not including the other Marvel projects he’s popped in for. — David Sims, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026 This one, by Adrián Xuana (San Martín Tilcajete, Oaxaca), is a towering, spindly incarnation of a xoloitzcuintli, those hairless Mexican dogs believed to guide spirits through the underworld. — Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 July 2026 The result is a bulbous body covered in scraggly fur atop four spindly legs, a stout head and little to no neck. — Drew Pittock, USA Today, 25 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for spindly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spindly
  1. gaunt
  2. skinny
  3. lanky
  4. thin
  5. bony
  6. gangly
  7. slender
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
  • 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 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
  • 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
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
Definition of bony
Adjective
  • That’s just one aspect of No One’s Disciple, mind you — Dunn and McFadyen may be lucky enough to capture some truly once-in-a-lifetime sessions, but the focus remains on chronicling Peart’s arc from gangly Hamilton kid to worldly rock god.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 17 Sep. 2026
  • In Groff’s imagining, the real figure of Marie de France is a gangly teenager exiled by her lover, Eleanor of Aquitaine, to oversee a dreary English abbey sometime during the 12th century.
    — David Faris, TheWeek, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of gangly
Adjective
  • Use a long, slender trowel to dig a single-occupancy hole, or dig a wide hole to plant a group of bulbs.
    — Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026
  • They are designed with slender straps that cross over the foot, creating an elegantly curved shape at the vamp.
    — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of slender

Browse Nearby Words

spindling
spindly
spindrift
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Cite this Entry

“Spindly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spindly. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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