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 During that time, three astronauts tested the spindly lunar excursion module in Earth orbit. — Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 12 June 2026 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 Sheep’s Head Way, Ireland The Sheep’s Head Way sits on one of the most spindly peninsulas in southwest Ireland. — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2026 As century upon century passes, the oceans freeze over and he is retrieved by what look like skinny, spindly aliens — not too unlike those briefly seen throughout pop culture, including in other Spielberg films. — Jesse Hassenger, Entertainment Weekly, 12 June 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 church’s punishment, however, delivered in front of the congregants, is an eerie ritual performed by a gaunt, severe visitor (Nicholas Hope).
    — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
  • Brig is in the Upper Valais, a gaunt and conservative place where the inhabitants speak Walliser German, an Alpine dialect that many Swiss people find unintelligible.
    — Sam Knight, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Definition of gaunt
Adjective
  • This season, the slimmer silhouette and skinny fit was back again.
    — Lucy Maguire, Vogue, 6 July 2026
  • Rodríguez Castro wore light-blue skinny jeans, a tight, black Hugo Boss T-shirt and Hermes sneakers.
    — Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 6 July 2026
Definition of skinny
Adjective
  • Gray, a lanky man with a gray mustache, volunteers as a docent at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, just across from Boeing Field.
    — Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 12 June 2026
  • Green's first two seasons in college went according to script and the lanky downfield threat was as good as advertised, earning first-team All-SEC honors in back-to-back years.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 June 2026
Definition of lanky
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.
    — STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 July 2026
  • Sprinkle the entire rug with a thin layer of baking soda and wait 20 minutes.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 5 July 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
  • 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
Definition of gangly
Adjective
  • On the Fourth of July, New York Harbor will fill with white canvas and slender hulls.
    — Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 30 June 2026
  • This is a comfortable, sleek set of ankle weight cuffs, ideal for those with smaller, more slender ankles.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 29 June 2026
Definition of slender

Browse Nearby Words

spindling
spindly
spindrift
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Spindly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spindly. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on spindly

Nglish: Translation of spindly for Spanish Speakers

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