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
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
Brenna Gauchat, The Arizona Republic, 19 Apr. 2024
Trump has been doing it for years, shifting millions in campaign cash into his sprawling business empire to pay for expenses such as using his personal aircraft for political events, rent at Trump Tower and events at his properties, which has included hotels and private clubs.
—Erin Mansfield, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
Beneath, undulating green hills, sprawling hedgerows, a horizon broken only by the jagged tips of Wales’ Cambrian mountain range.
—Jessica Rawnsley, WIRED, 18 Apr. 2024
Westlands Water District, the vast irrigation district sprawled over Fresno and Kings counties in the Central Valley—the largest such district in the nation—spent more than $4.7 million on Sacramento lobbying over the last decade.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2024
Analysts note that the pro-Palestinian movement is now a sprawling network of groups, many of which have different views about what tactics are acceptable or effective.
—Tim Craig, Washington Post, 16 Apr. 2024
The election will last six weeks after a campaign that has sprawled across India — and into the United States as well.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC News, 16 Apr. 2024
Kourtney also poked fun at her sisters by resharing a photo of Kim and Khloé were sprawled on the beach in racy swimwear while Kourtney is seen on a lounge char in the distance.
—Staff Author, Peoplemag, 15 Apr. 2024
The sprawling dining room – with its surf shack-meets-1980s-roadhouse vibe – seems to go on forever, housing as many tables as a German beer hall and three full-service bars.
—The Enquirer, 9 Apr. 2024
Steve Bender, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2024
The Midtown Farmers Market runs year-round from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays and sprawls over five blocks.
—Amber Turpin, The Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2024
In the sprawl beyond Bengaluru’s core, where dreams of tech riches usually grow, schools lack water to flush toilets.
—Damien Cave Atul Loke, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2024
That happens sometimes on this part of Waterman Road, a two-lane drive leading from the Elk Grove sprawl to this rural section of Sacramento County.
—Ryan Lillis, Sacramento Bee, 29 Mar. 2024
In fact, it might be said the path to statewide political success no longer runs through the hillsides of San Francisco, the flats of Oakland or the sprawl of Silicon Valley.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024
Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club, Nanyuki, Kenya On the slopes of towering Mount Kenya, this elegant hotel sprawls across 100 acres within the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy.
—Jennifer Kester, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024
Oftentimes, organizations are unable to remove privileges even as users move to different departments, causing permissions sprawl.
—Atul Tulshibagwale, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
But this couple had moved from the Norfolk area where the cost of farmland had become prohibitive due to uncontrolled suburban sprawl.
—TIME, 6 Feb. 2024
Verb
For cyclists, miles of trails sprawl across glassy plains providing the perfect path to ride for hours.
—Brenna Gauchat, The Arizona Republic, 19 Apr. 2024
Trump has been doing it for years, shifting millions in campaign cash into his sprawling business empire to pay for expenses such as using his personal aircraft for political events, rent at Trump Tower and events at his properties, which has included hotels and private clubs.
—Erin Mansfield, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
Beneath, undulating green hills, sprawling hedgerows, a horizon broken only by the jagged tips of Wales’ Cambrian mountain range.
—Jessica Rawnsley, WIRED, 18 Apr. 2024
Westlands Water District, the vast irrigation district sprawled over Fresno and Kings counties in the Central Valley—the largest such district in the nation—spent more than $4.7 million on Sacramento lobbying over the last decade.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2024
Analysts note that the pro-Palestinian movement is now a sprawling network of groups, many of which have different views about what tactics are acceptable or effective.
—Tim Craig, Washington Post, 16 Apr. 2024
The election will last six weeks after a campaign that has sprawled across India — and into the United States as well.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC News, 16 Apr. 2024
Kourtney also poked fun at her sisters by resharing a photo of Kim and Khloé were sprawled on the beach in racy swimwear while Kourtney is seen on a lounge char in the distance.
—Staff Author, Peoplemag, 15 Apr. 2024
The sprawling dining room – with its surf shack-meets-1980s-roadhouse vibe – seems to go on forever, housing as many tables as a German beer hall and three full-service bars.
—The Enquirer, 9 Apr. 2024
Noun
Use the 2-inch-tall plants to fill gaps between stepping stones, line borders, or sprawl over rock walls.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2024
The Midtown Farmers Market runs year-round from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays and sprawls over five blocks.
—Amber Turpin, The Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2024
In the sprawl beyond Bengaluru’s core, where dreams of tech riches usually grow, schools lack water to flush toilets.
—Damien Cave Atul Loke, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2024
That happens sometimes on this part of Waterman Road, a two-lane drive leading from the Elk Grove sprawl to this rural section of Sacramento County.
—Ryan Lillis, Sacramento Bee, 29 Mar. 2024
In fact, it might be said the path to statewide political success no longer runs through the hillsides of San Francisco, the flats of Oakland or the sprawl of Silicon Valley.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024
Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club, Nanyuki, Kenya On the slopes of towering Mount Kenya, this elegant hotel sprawls across 100 acres within the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy.
—Jennifer Kester, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024
Oftentimes, organizations are unable to remove privileges even as users move to different departments, causing permissions sprawl.
—Atul Tulshibagwale, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
But this couple had moved from the Norfolk area where the cost of farmland had become prohibitive due to uncontrolled suburban sprawl.
—TIME, 6 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sprawl.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near sprawl
Cite this Entry
“Sprawl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sprawl. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share