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
Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
Its urban centers are like forests of skyscrapers, impeccably connected by sprawling metro systems.
—Kristin Braswell, AFAR Media, 7 Oct. 2025
Alex Ross, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
Some sprawl out behind elaborate ceremonial gates, while others quietly integrate with the urban fabric; some are significantly pedestrianized, while others center on major intersections.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sprawl
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Verb
Sasaki needed two pitches to get the final out, as Tommy Edman fired a bouncing throw that Freeman had to sprawl to grab to close out the night.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
Its urban centers are like forests of skyscrapers, impeccably connected by sprawling metro systems.
—Kristin Braswell, AFAR Media, 7 Oct. 2025
Noun
Yet the entire spectacle felt inadequate to the weighty sprawl of Chabon’s novel, which celebrates the exterior glamour of pop culture while observing its deceptions.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
Some sprawl out behind elaborate ceremonial gates, while others quietly integrate with the urban fabric; some are significantly pedestrianized, while others center on major intersections.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 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 9 Oct. 2025.
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