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
Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 9 May 2026
Jonathan Isaac missed 23 games, including 17 due to a left knee sprain.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 May 2026
Eric Koreen, New York Times, 4 May 2026
After missing Game 1 with a knee bruise, Durant sprained his ankle in the fourth quarter of Game 2 and missed the next two games.
—Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
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Noun
Josh Hart entered Friday’s game with a new thumb sprain then tweaked his ankle in the second half before playing through pain.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 9 May 2026
Jonathan Isaac missed 23 games, including 17 due to a left knee sprain.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 May 2026
Verb
By the time Sunday’s Game 7 loss was over, Jamal Shead, already standing in for an injured Immanuel Quickley, had sprained his ankle.
—Eric Koreen, New York Times, 4 May 2026
After missing Game 1 with a knee bruise, Durant sprained his ankle in the fourth quarter of Game 2 and missed the next two games.
—Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 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 12 May. 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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