intersperse
verb
in·ter·sperse
ˌin-tər-ˈspərs 
interspersed; interspersing
1
: to insert at intervals among other things
interspersing drawings throughout the text
2
: to place something at intervals in or among
intersperse a book with pictures
Did you know?
Intersperse comes from Latin interspersus, a combination of the prefix inter- ("between or among") and sparsus, the past participle of spargere, meaning "to scatter." Sparsus is also the source of sparse.
Synonyms
Examples of intersperse in a Sentence
You should intersperse these pictures evenly throughout the book.
Some seagulls were interspersed among the ducks.
Recent Examples on the Web
Their conversation is interspersed with other footage from the series, including the trademark brutal fight scenes—complete with bones breaking in various unnatural ways.
—
Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 15 Jan. 2025
The film is interspersed with actual footage from the protests, which show these women being beaten, harassed, crowded into vans and disappeared, and even some laying dead on the street.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Jan. 2025
Depending on your appreciation for Steamboat Willie and the Disney canon, watching clips of the mouse’s original short film interspersed with modern-day graphic violence will leave you thrilled or horrified or both.
—Erik Piepenburg, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2025
The din of voices drowned out the general election results flowing in from televisions interspersed through the party.
—Staff Report, The Tennessean, 5 Nov. 2024
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Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 15 Jan. 2025
The film is interspersed with actual footage from the protests, which show these women being beaten, harassed, crowded into vans and disappeared, and even some laying dead on the street.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Jan. 2025
Depending on your appreciation for Steamboat Willie and the Disney canon, watching clips of the mouse’s original short film interspersed with modern-day graphic violence will leave you thrilled or horrified or both.
—Erik Piepenburg, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2025
The din of voices drowned out the general election results flowing in from televisions interspersed through the party.
—Staff Report, The Tennessean, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for intersperse
Dictionary Entries Near intersperse
Cite this Entry
“Intersperse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intersperse. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
intersperse
verb
in·ter·sperse
ˌint-ər-ˈspərs
interspersed; interspersing
1
: to set here and there among other things
intersperse pictures in a book
2
: to vary with things inserted here and there
interspersed the photo album with her poetry
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