sprain

1 of 2

noun

1
: a sudden or violent twist or wrench of a joint with stretching or tearing of ligaments
2
: a sprained condition

sprain

2 of 2

verb

sprained; spraining; sprains

transitive verb

: to injure by a sudden or severe twist

Examples of sprain in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The Jazz were also short-handed, playing Saturday without two rotation players in Jordan Clarkson (illness) and Walker Kessler (right foot sprain). Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 2024 The short-handed Hornets again deployed an undersized front court, with 6-foot-7 center Washington starting for the injured Nick Richards (right ankle sprain). Phil Ervin, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2024 The firefighters’ injuries included sprains, fractures and a head injury, Davis said. James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Feb. 2024 The clinics, staffed by nurse practitioners and physician assistants, offer an array of quick healthcare options for children and adults including vaccinations and treating minor wounds and joint sprains. Samantha Gowen, Orange County Register, 30 Jan. 2024 Ragnow suffered knee and ankle sprains in the Lions' divisional playoff win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but played every offensive snap in Sunday's loss to the 49ers. Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press, 29 Jan. 2024 Bol missed his eighth straight game with a right foot sprain that has been a previous issue for him. Duane Rankin, The Arizona Republic, 28 Jan. 2024 The world has tried so many ways of combatting the ankle sprain. Tim Newcomb, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 Lose that belly by working out extra hard on weekends, study says Typical injuries include slips, sprains and strains, but treadmills can also cause serious burns, concussions, broken bones and even death, although the latter is rare. Melanie Radzicki McManus, CNN, 22 Feb. 2024
Verb
But over the course of his last few features, the Japanese director has centered characters who are at at least mildly sprained, and trying hard to get by on hope and a homemade splint. Jessica Kiang, Variety, 3 Mar. 2024 But with Heat guards Josh Richardson (right shoulder dislocation) and Terry Rozier (sprained right knee) already out, Herro played Friday through the discomfort in his foot. Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2024 Madrid was still without Jude Bellingham, who sprained his ankle in the win against Girona last weekend. Tales Azzoni, USA TODAY, 18 Feb. 2024 Starting guard Kam Jones, who played just 5 minutes against Seton Hall on Saturday after spraining his right ankle in practice, was scratched from the game. Ben Steele, Journal Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2024 The Duke forward was sent careening off balance and groping for a manager and teammate for support, all the while spraining his ankle. Don Yaeger, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 That way they’re primed for the movements to come, and less likely to be sprained. Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 20 Feb. 2024 The hope is Rozier will be back soon after the All-Star break after spraining his right knee, but the timeline for Richardson’s return remains unclear. Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 16 Feb. 2024 Russell sat out with left knee soreness, and Max Christie started in his place and scored seven points before spraining his right ankle shortly before halftime. Greg Beacham, USA TODAY, 9 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sprain.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun

1601, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1622, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sprain was in 1601

Dictionary Entries Near sprain

Cite this Entry

“Sprain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sprain. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sprain

1 of 2 noun
1
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on sprain

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