1
as in to extend
to extend outwards from or as if from a central point
The suburbs sprawl for miles beyond the city's downtown.
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2
as in to stretch (out)
to rest with the arms and legs spread out
There's no feeling like sprawling out on your bed after a hard day's work.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sprawl
Anyone who has seen Lady Gaga‘s sprawling live show The Mayhem Ball knows how theatrical Gaga manages to get on stage.
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Stephen Daw, Billboard, 13 Oct. 2025
The thundering early morning blast at Accurate Energetic Systems reverberated across the surrounding community Friday, razing an entire building on the plant’s sprawling campus and leading to a painstaking search that ultimately found no survivors.
—Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 12 Oct. 2025
The set comes with six bowls that hold up to 30 ounces each, plenty of room for a sprawling feast of meat, potatoes, and all the fixings.
—Gabriela Izquierdo, Southern Living, 11 Oct. 2025
The company also uses the sprawling campus to test explosives, according to its website, measuring the velocity of explosions as well as their impact on surrounding areas under varying environmental conditions.
—Greg Norman, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sprawl
Stephen Daw, Billboard, 13 Oct. 2025
The thundering early morning blast at Accurate Energetic Systems reverberated across the surrounding community Friday, razing an entire building on the plant’s sprawling campus and leading to a painstaking search that ultimately found no survivors.
—Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 12 Oct. 2025
The set comes with six bowls that hold up to 30 ounces each, plenty of room for a sprawling feast of meat, potatoes, and all the fixings.
—Gabriela Izquierdo, Southern Living, 11 Oct. 2025
The company also uses the sprawling campus to test explosives, according to its website, measuring the velocity of explosions as well as their impact on surrounding areas under varying environmental conditions.
—Greg Norman, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sprawl
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sprawl
Verb
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Today's top stories The government shutdown is now on day eight, and no end is in sight as Democrats continue to advocate for extending Affordable Care Act subsidies.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
8 Oct. 2025
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Throughout the week, the designers that left a lasting impression created moments that sparked meaningful conversation and demonstrated how fashion’s influence could extend beyond the runway and shape what regular people wear on the streets.—
Fiona Sinclair Scott,
CNN Money,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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While the novel examines clashes between diverging approaches to justice, honor, and community, its looping chronology illustrates the inescapable ripples of national and family histories.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2025
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Trump weighs in on Netanyahu criminal case Trump diverged from his prepared remarks to the Knesset to call on Israel’s president to pardon Netanyahu, who faces three criminal charges.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Belt said much of the museum’s donations go toward maintaining the 124-year-old wooden building that sits right next to a river in a very humid city.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
10 Oct. 2025
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No glovebox, no desiccator – just a jar of yellow powder sitting happily on my bench.—
Stavroula Alina Kampouri,
The Conversation,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The nursery did well, so Kids Planet began to expand.—
Rebecca Ann Hughes,
Fortune,
9 Oct. 2025
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The team plans to expand the research to evaluate inhaler emissions in specific patient groups, such as Medicaid recipients, and to compare clinical outcomes of low- and high-emission inhalers in the same therapeutic class.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Amina blows her mom a kiss and then flops down in her crib, pretending to be asleep.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
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This drama — a remake of an Oscar-winning Argentine film — flopped mightily upon release, but Roberts was quite compelling in it.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The self-reflective tone marks a thematic shift for a band whose debut radiated a cool irony, pulling emotional punches in favor of observations centered around mid-20s delusion.—
Sophie Williams,
Billboard,
10 Oct. 2025
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Once formed, these waves can travel across entire ocean basins, radiating outward from the point of disturbance and impacting coastlines far from the origin.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Ideal for an extra bed layer on winter nights, or for lounging on the couch, choose from 32 colors and nine sizes to find your perfect fit.—
Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
7 Oct. 2025
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Couches and daybeds to cuddle up in, chairs for dinner parties, and desks to lounge at while sipping coffee are all essential.—
Claire Hoppe Norgaard,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The blue Hyundai came to rest on its roof in the shopping center parking lot in the 8700 block of La Riviera Drive just east of Watt Avenue and south of the American River.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
10 Oct. 2025
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Diego Rincon, creative director at Lifted, says the team spotted an opportunity to work up a big new hit of this ilk after ITV’s stalwart Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway was rested.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
9 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sprawl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sprawl. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.
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