sprawled; sprawling; sprawls
1
: to lie or sit with arms and legs spread out
2
: to spread or develop irregularly or without restraint
bushes sprawling along the road
sprawling suburbs
a sprawling narrative
3
a
: to creep or clamber awkwardly
b
archaic
: to lie thrashing or tossing about
: to cause to spread out carelessly or awkwardly
sprawled out her books on the table
1
: an irregularly spread or scattered group or mass
a sprawl of stores and restaurants
2
3
: the act, posture, or condition of sprawling
Examples of sprawl in a Sentence
Verb
The kids sprawled on the floor to watch TV.
She tripped and went sprawling into the table.
The city sprawls along the coastline.
The bushes were sprawling along the road.
Recent Examples on the Web
Ruth Umoh, Fortune, 16 Dec. 2025
The Idaho man at the center of a sprawling federal financial fraud prosecution had nearly unfettered access and control of the Idaho American Legion’s finances for about seven years and repeatedly abused his position of power, according to his criminal indictment.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 16 Dec. 2025
Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 15 Dec. 2025
The story blooms and lengthens and sprawls, going from generation to generation, reckoning with the weight of lineage and history and wounds.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sprawl
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Verb
Many run multibillion-dollar enterprises within their organizations, overseeing global operations, sprawling supply chains, cloud platforms, or customer ecosystems that rival Fortune 500 companies in scope.
—Ruth Umoh, Fortune, 16 Dec. 2025
The Idaho man at the center of a sprawling federal financial fraud prosecution had nearly unfettered access and control of the Idaho American Legion’s finances for about seven years and repeatedly abused his position of power, according to his criminal indictment.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 16 Dec. 2025
Noun
The vast, extreme landscape, which is renowned for its massive sprawl and variance in elevation, also has a long human history.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 15 Dec. 2025
The story blooms and lengthens and sprawls, going from generation to generation, reckoning with the weight of lineage and history and wounds.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sprawl
Cite this Entry
“Sprawl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sprawl. Accessed 20 Dec. 2025.
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