sprawled; sprawling; sprawls
1
: to lie or sit with arms and legs spread out
2
: to spread or develop irregularly or without restraint
bushes sprawling along the road
sprawling suburbs
a sprawling narrative
3
a
: to creep or clamber awkwardly
b
archaic
: to lie thrashing or tossing about
: to cause to spread out carelessly or awkwardly
sprawled out her books on the table
1
: an irregularly spread or scattered group or mass
a sprawl of stores and restaurants
2
3
: the act, posture, or condition of sprawling
Examples of sprawl in a Sentence
Verb
The kids sprawled on the floor to watch TV.
She tripped and went sprawling into the table.
The city sprawls along the coastline.
The bushes were sprawling along the road.
Recent Examples on the Web
Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 7 May 2026
Both sides hired a sprawling team of lawyers for the litigation, with legal expenses likely in the tens of millions of dollars.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 7 May 2026
Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 29 Apr. 2026
One of Contra Costa’s great planning successes has been the county’s Urban Limit Line, designed to protect open space from suburban sprawl.
—East Bay Times Editorial, Mercury News, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sprawl
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Verb
Shiki Seafood has a location in Temple City, which features a sprawling buffet of sashimi, sushi rolls, crab legs, shellfish, hot entrees, desserts and a chocolate fountain, among other offerings typical of large-format seafood buffets.
—Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 7 May 2026
Both sides hired a sprawling team of lawyers for the litigation, with legal expenses likely in the tens of millions of dollars.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 7 May 2026
Noun
This low-profile look does California ’70s without the sprawl.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 29 Apr. 2026
One of Contra Costa’s great planning successes has been the county’s Urban Limit Line, designed to protect open space from suburban sprawl.
—East Bay Times Editorial, Mercury News, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sprawl
Cite this Entry
“Sprawl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sprawl. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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