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
Arkansas Online, 16 Jan. 2026
The sprawling Las Vegas resort just unveiled two Colosseum Presidential Villas that can connect into a single private residence spanning more than 19,000 square feet.
—David Morris, Travel + Leisure, 15 Jan. 2026
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2026
Development in the Ag Reserve has taken on somewhat of a sprawl-like, patchwork appearance, largely the result of rules created to keep the area dedicated primarily to agricultural uses.
—Abigail Hasebroock, Sun Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sprawl
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Verb
An investigation into a sprawling betting scheme to rig NCAA and Chinese Basketball Association games has ensnared 26 people, including more than a dozen college basketball players who tried to fix games as recently as last season, federal prosecutors said Thursday.
—Arkansas Online, 16 Jan. 2026
The sprawling Las Vegas resort just unveiled two Colosseum Presidential Villas that can connect into a single private residence spanning more than 19,000 square feet.
—David Morris, Travel + Leisure, 15 Jan. 2026
Noun
Slowly and painfully, state leaders learned to recognize that — cheered on by their constituents, who don’t want to live in communities blighted by sprawl and surrounded by environmental wreckage.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2026
Development in the Ag Reserve has taken on somewhat of a sprawl-like, patchwork appearance, largely the result of rules created to keep the area dedicated primarily to agricultural uses.
—Abigail Hasebroock, Sun Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sprawl
Cite this Entry
“Sprawl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sprawl. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
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