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
Ooh’s and aah’s echoed like a chorus interspersed between the staccato of camera shutters.
—
Hunter Lacey, Allure, 14 Feb. 2025
In that scene, Mo and his family are returning to Houston, and while they’re detained at Ben Gurion Airport, their strip search is interspersed with a montage of the family’s earlier, happier experiences.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2025
Bad Bunny intersperses this album with rich, native Puerto Rican styles like salsa, plena, and jíbara.
—Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 22 Jan. 2025
In a video message during the performance, Mr. Trump promised to Make America Rock Again, interspersed with footage of Run-DMC songs.
—Jon Caramanica, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for intersperse 
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.
Hunter Lacey, Allure, 14 Feb. 2025
In that scene, Mo and his family are returning to Houston, and while they’re detained at Ben Gurion Airport, their strip search is interspersed with a montage of the family’s earlier, happier experiences.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2025
Bad Bunny intersperses this album with rich, native Puerto Rican styles like salsa, plena, and jíbara.
—Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 22 Jan. 2025
In a video message during the performance, Mr. Trump promised to Make America Rock Again, interspersed with footage of Run-DMC songs.
—Jon Caramanica, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2025
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 24 Feb. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share