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.
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
The center, built in 2004 on former agricultural land at a cost of $285 million, is one of the largest regional malls in Southern California, with more than 30 buildings on 12 blocks, interspersed with parks, gardens and fountains.
—
Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Plant marigolds as a border plant, as well as intersperse them with your kale crop to make sure that your greens don’t get munched.
—Haniya Rae, Martha Stewart, 12 Mar. 2026
The latest sports/bombing videos were similar to one that featured clips of movies and TV shows interspersed with actual war video.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
Another video, posted by the White House on Wednesday, interspersed footage from war video games with real footage from the strikes in Iran.
—Michelle Stoddart, ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for intersperse
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Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Plant marigolds as a border plant, as well as intersperse them with your kale crop to make sure that your greens don’t get munched.
—Haniya Rae, Martha Stewart, 12 Mar. 2026
The latest sports/bombing videos were similar to one that featured clips of movies and TV shows interspersed with actual war video.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
Another video, posted by the White House on Wednesday, interspersed footage from war video games with real footage from the strikes in Iran.
—Michelle Stoddart, ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for intersperse
Cite this Entry
“Intersperse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intersperse. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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
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