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
Anna Cooban, CNN, 1 Mar. 2025
The sprawling press room where Oscar historians answer the media's most random questions?
—Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2025
Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 25 Feb. 2025
Atlanta Botanical Garden Founded in 1976, the Atlanta Botanical Garden spreads over 30 acres adjacent to the grassy sprawl of Piedmont Park, and its footprint includes many lush gardens, walkways, and art installations.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sprawl
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Verb
Similarly, even if the United States lifts its sprawling set of export controls and asset freezes imposed on Russia since February 2022, its major trading partners will not necessarily reverse their own measures against Moscow.
—Anna Cooban, CNN, 1 Mar. 2025
The sprawling press room where Oscar historians answer the media's most random questions?
—Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2025
Noun
According to public records, O’Neal had owned the bucolic sprawl since 1995.
—Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 25 Feb. 2025
Atlanta Botanical Garden Founded in 1976, the Atlanta Botanical Garden spreads over 30 acres adjacent to the grassy sprawl of Piedmont Park, and its footprint includes many lush gardens, walkways, and art installations.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 23 Feb. 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 14 Mar. 2025.
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