1
as in extended
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 sat
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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Recent Examples of sprawled
Staffers crouched with towels on the baseline spent an undue portion of the night sprinting to various corners of the United Center court, mopping up sweat off the hardwood after players from both teams had tumbled and tripped and sprawled onto the floor.
—
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
Around the perimeter of the living room, all four members of Ratboys are sprawled on sofas and lounge chairs watching Pluto TV’s free Vevo channels, a nonstop rotation of music videos not unlike MTV’s heyday.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 29 Jan. 2026
The sea lions sprawled across the docks have become one of San Francisco’s most endearing—and unexpected—attractions.
—Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Terra and Frisbie’s original plan proposed more than 1,100 apartments, a hotel, 250,000 square feet of office space and 85,000 square feet of retail sprawled across all 30 acres between West Palmetto Park Road and Northwest First Avenue.
—Abigail Hasebroock, Sun Sentinel, 20 Jan. 2026
Moments later, as the petite former actress’ body lay sprawled on roadway, she was struck again, this time by the driver of a black-and-gray sedan, with her body then being dragged by the car.
—Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 18 Jan. 2026
In the first half alone, Kneepkens sprawled out on the floor for six loose balls, attempting to keep a possession alive or guarantee a rebound.
—Benjamin Royer, Daily News, 18 Jan. 2026
On the other end was Kayshon Boutte, who sprawled to catch the pass.
—Matt Schooley, CBS News, 18 Jan. 2026
Street takeovers in the past have sprawled throughout Miami-Dade County, including onto the Florida Turnpike and highways, while causing major traffic delays and near-miss crashes.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 16 Jan. 2026
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
Around the perimeter of the living room, all four members of Ratboys are sprawled on sofas and lounge chairs watching Pluto TV’s free Vevo channels, a nonstop rotation of music videos not unlike MTV’s heyday.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 29 Jan. 2026
The sea lions sprawled across the docks have become one of San Francisco’s most endearing—and unexpected—attractions.
—Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Terra and Frisbie’s original plan proposed more than 1,100 apartments, a hotel, 250,000 square feet of office space and 85,000 square feet of retail sprawled across all 30 acres between West Palmetto Park Road and Northwest First Avenue.
—Abigail Hasebroock, Sun Sentinel, 20 Jan. 2026
Moments later, as the petite former actress’ body lay sprawled on roadway, she was struck again, this time by the driver of a black-and-gray sedan, with her body then being dragged by the car.
—Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 18 Jan. 2026
In the first half alone, Kneepkens sprawled out on the floor for six loose balls, attempting to keep a possession alive or guarantee a rebound.
—Benjamin Royer, Daily News, 18 Jan. 2026
On the other end was Kayshon Boutte, who sprawled to catch the pass.
—Matt Schooley, CBS News, 18 Jan. 2026
Street takeovers in the past have sprawled throughout Miami-Dade County, including onto the Florida Turnpike and highways, while causing major traffic delays and near-miss crashes.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 16 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sprawled
Verb
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Gold extended its relentless rally on Thursday, crossing past $5,500 per ounce and hitting another record high.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
29 Jan. 2026
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And the hospitality extended beyond homes.—
Kim Norvell,
Des Moines Register,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Levi Jones, a 33-year-old business owner, pulled up to Sacred Eye Tattoos in Hollywood last week and sat for eight hours getting a photorealistic black-and-white portrait of Mangione on his leg.—
Amanda Rosa,
Orlando Sentinel,
24 Dec. 2024
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The birthday boy and his big sister Sterling Skye, 3, each sat between one of their parents’ laps.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
24 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The world’s largest cryptocurrency has historically tracked tech stocks, but Bitcoin and the S&P 500 have diverged over the past three months.—
Ben Weiss,
Fortune,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The skirt of the dress offered contrasting fabric, with a glossy shine that diverged from the sequin and shimmer elements of the bodice.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Giants, who needed credibility after their last four full-time hires flopped, made a textbook decision in nabbing Harbaugh.—
Jerry Brewer,
New York Times,
2 Feb. 2026
-
Boyfriend number two flopped right out of the league.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Instead of dotting the same black scrim, like pinholes in a two-dimensional theater backdrop, the stars were scattered through space at dramatically varying distances, a vast swarm of them filling every last corner of an even vaster, more numinous, and emphatically three-dimensional darkness.—
Michael Pollan,
The Atlantic,
26 Jan. 2026
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Your press should not feel random or scattered.—
Becca Brazil,
Rolling Stone,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Over at the three tiers of pools during a late spring weekend visit, couples in stylish swimsuits lounged around the adult’s only pool, groups of friends sipped margs while wading in the main Mother-of-Pearl pool, and kids frolicked in the separate splash pad area.—
Lizbeth Scordo,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Jan. 2026
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In a series of photos, Lopez lounged in a strapless lilac number featuring a floor-length skirt that looked as if it were made of flower petals.—
Hannah Malach,
InStyle,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Before sunset, cover cold-sensitive plants with frost cloth or sheets to retain heat radiated from the soil.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
15 Jan. 2026
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As per usual, Kate Hudson radiated warmth and elegance amid the sea of celebrities at the 83rd annual Golden Globe Awards.—
Izzy Baskette,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Engage the core to help keep the lower spine curvature neutral and not rounded or slouched.—
Mark Gurarie,
Verywell Health,
7 Oct. 2025
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Bichette, the bat taken out of his hand, slouched back to the bench.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sprawled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sprawled. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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