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
Fashion is the star at the entrance, but jackets and holiday sweaters and party dresses are interspersed with complementary offerings from across Target’s gigantic offering, including candles, pillows, sparkling grape juice and stocking stuffers.
—
Evan Clark, Footwear News, 8 Dec. 2025
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The surreal result is a representation of a chronological inbox that has Quora and Flipboard email blasts interspersed with exchanges with former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak and winking emails to Steve Bannon.
—Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2025
Her work, which is interspersed throughout the exhibition, suggests a quietly insistent lineage for the more forthright work on view by artists of recent decades.
—Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 22 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intersperse
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Evan Clark, Footwear News, 8 Dec. 2025
Shopping deals and savory recipes were interspersed between updates on the growing second World War and analysis about the United States’ impenetrable defensibility.
—Angele Latham, Nashville Tennessean, 7 Dec. 2025
The surreal result is a representation of a chronological inbox that has Quora and Flipboard email blasts interspersed with exchanges with former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak and winking emails to Steve Bannon.
—Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2025
Her work, which is interspersed throughout the exhibition, suggests a quietly insistent lineage for the more forthright work on view by artists of recent decades.
—Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 22 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intersperse
Cite this Entry
“Intersperse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intersperse. Accessed 12 Dec. 2025.
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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