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
Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
The second-year tackle will need surgery to repair the high-ankle sprain, his second ankle injury this season.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Nov. 2025
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 8 Nov. 2025
After the series, ESPN reported James sprained his MCL in his left knee during the Game 5 loss.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 9 Oct. 2025
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Noun
Isiah Pacheco, who missed Kansas City's Week 9 loss to the Buffalo Bills with an MCL sprain, leads the team with just 329 rushing yards.
—Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
The second-year tackle will need surgery to repair the high-ankle sprain, his second ankle injury this season.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
Adebayo, who missed only four games last season, sat out for the first time this season with a sprained left big toe.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 8 Nov. 2025
After the series, ESPN reported James sprained his MCL in his left knee during the Game 5 loss.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sprain
Cite this Entry
“Sprain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sprain. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
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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