1
: a sudden or violent twist or wrench of a joint with stretching or tearing of ligaments
2
: a sprained condition
sprained; spraining; sprains
: to injure by a sudden or severe twist
Examples of sprain in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Lauren Williams,
AJC.com,
30 June 2026
Pino has an ‘acromioclavicular sprain’, an injury to the ligaments connecting the collarbone and shoulder blade.
—
Pol Ballús,
New York Times,
27 June 2026
Dan Pompei,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
The team also played without forward Cameron Brink, who sprained her ankle on Monday.
—
Jordan Puente,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for sprain
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Noun
After an injury in the fourth quarter of a game against the Magic, the Hawks ruled out Landale for the rest of the regular season with a high ankle sprain.
—
Lauren Williams,
AJC.com,
30 June 2026
Pino has an ‘acromioclavicular sprain’, an injury to the ligaments connecting the collarbone and shoulder blade.
—
Pol Ballús,
New York Times,
27 June 2026
Verb
The previous week, Al-Shaair sprained his right knee.
—
Dan Pompei,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
The team also played without forward Cameron Brink, who sprained her ankle on Monday.
—
Jordan Puente,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for sprain
Cite this Entry
“Sprain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sprain. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sprain
1 of 2 noun1
: a sudden or severe twisting of a joint with stretching or tearing of ligaments
2
: a condition that results from a sprain and is usually marked by pain and swelling
sprain
2 of 2 verb
: to injure by a sudden or severe twist
Medical Definition
sprain
1 of 2 noun
: a sudden or violent twist or wrench of a joint causing the stretching or tearing of ligaments and often rupture of blood vessels with hemorrhage into the tissues
also
: the condition resulting from a sprain that is usually marked by swelling, inflammation, hemorrhage, and discoloration compare strain entry 3 sense b
sprain
2 of 2 transitive verb
: to weaken (a joint or ligament) by sudden and violent twisting or wrenching : stretch (ligaments) injuriously without dislocation of the joint
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