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
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
Bekah Waalkes, The Atlantic, 1 May 2025
According to the same report, a whopping 40% of marketing leaders identify their sprawling martech ecosystem as a major barrier to efficiency, while 53% report feeling outright overwhelmed by their current tools.
—Richard Jones, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
Clyde Wayne Crews Jr., Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
That feeling chased Rose throughout her life, starting when her hometown of Keller, Texas, was still a rural dot and continuing as the sprawl of Dallas-Fort Worth surrounded her as a teen.
—Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sprawl
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Verb
Over years of reading outdoors—seated on a park bench, sprawled on a beach blanket—I’ve come to see reading as an experience that, rather than offering an escape from my surroundings, in fact supplements my appreciation of the setting.
—Bekah Waalkes, The Atlantic, 1 May 2025
According to the same report, a whopping 40% of marketing leaders identify their sprawling martech ecosystem as a major barrier to efficiency, while 53% report feeling outright overwhelmed by their current tools.
—Richard Jones, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
Noun
Executive actions targeting bureaucratic sprawl, agency guidance abuse and taxpayer funding of left-wing causes mark a welcome return to limiting government’s reach.
—Clyde Wayne Crews Jr., Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
That feeling chased Rose throughout her life, starting when her hometown of Keller, Texas, was still a rural dot and continuing as the sprawl of Dallas-Fort Worth surrounded her as a teen.
—Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sprawl
Cite this Entry
“Sprawl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sprawl. Accessed 9 May. 2025.
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