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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sprawled
This is a cultural campus sprawled across 135 acres of Ponderosa forests.
—
Sierra Vandervort,
Travel + Leisure,
20 June 2026
Several articles on Ted’s life and legacy sprawled above and below the fold.
—
Griffin Dunne,
Vulture,
19 June 2026
Blue skies extended to the horizon, and a small colony of tents, camper vans and motorhomes sprawled out across the lush alfalfa fields.
—
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
Blue skies extended to the horizon, and a small colony of tents, camper vans and motorhomes sprawled out across the lush alfalfa fields.
—
Annie Waldman,
ProPublica,
9 June 2026
The strips are piled high in plastic bins, sprawled over tables and fed underneath bobbing needles.
—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
6 June 2026
Images selected as exhibits for a court hearing included a barefoot youth sprawled face-down on a beige carpet, surrounded by the white sneakers of various companions.
—
Thomas Lake,
AJC.com,
4 June 2026
At the end of Friday’s preliminary competition, Hernandez and five other high jump contenders sprawled on their stomachs beneath the high jump tent, cheering on West Ranch junior Avery Prestridge and La Jolla junior Anastasia Volkov in a jump-off for the final qualifying spot.
—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
Baker sprawled across a leather couch.
—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Sierra Vandervort,
Travel + Leisure,
20 June 2026
Several articles on Ted’s life and legacy sprawled above and below the fold.
—
Griffin Dunne,
Vulture,
19 June 2026
Blue skies extended to the horizon, and a small colony of tents, camper vans and motorhomes sprawled out across the lush alfalfa fields.
—
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
Blue skies extended to the horizon, and a small colony of tents, camper vans and motorhomes sprawled out across the lush alfalfa fields.
—
Annie Waldman,
ProPublica,
9 June 2026
The strips are piled high in plastic bins, sprawled over tables and fed underneath bobbing needles.
—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
6 June 2026
Images selected as exhibits for a court hearing included a barefoot youth sprawled face-down on a beige carpet, surrounded by the white sneakers of various companions.
—
Thomas Lake,
AJC.com,
4 June 2026
At the end of Friday’s preliminary competition, Hernandez and five other high jump contenders sprawled on their stomachs beneath the high jump tent, cheering on West Ranch junior Avery Prestridge and La Jolla junior Anastasia Volkov in a jump-off for the final qualifying spot.
—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
Baker sprawled across a leather couch.
—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sprawled
Verb
-
The board in recent months extended the interim top official, Denise Saddler, for another year.
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The United States first granted protections to Haitians in 2010 after a catastrophic earthquake and extended them multiple times amid ongoing gang violence that has displaced more than a million people, according to court documents.
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.
-
The birthday boy and his big sister Sterling Skye, 3, each sat between one of their parents’ laps.
Verb
-
Even though Toyota and Subaru jointly developed their six pack of EVs, the brands diverged on the steering wheel.
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This week, however, their paths diverged.
Verb
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Thielbar has regressed, while free agent Phil Maton, Hoyer’s main bullpen addition on a two-year, $14 million deal, has flopped like last year’s big bullpen addition, Ryan Pressly.
-
Replay shows the defender never made meaningful contact and the offensive player overly-exaggerated the contact (flopped).
Verb
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In Texas, an 18-wheeler dropped $800,000 in dimes onto a highway in April 2025, sending crews scrambling as coins scattered across the roadway.
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There are some chairs and picnic tables scattered about, but bring your own seating and go early for a prime location.
Verb
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In the living room, a tabby cat with a clipped ear lounged on a velvet couch, her front paws propping open an illustrated catalogue of military aircraft.
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The couple giggled between kisses and lounged on a red-and-white picnic blanket while overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Verb
-
Intensity radiated throughout the playoffs.
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The largely peaceful celebration radiated out into the streets around the Garden, with some fans climbing on street signs and jumping on top of vehicles.
Verb
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Video of Dick slouched over on a Los Angeles sidewalk circulated quickly.
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Her wedge of baked Alaska slouched on the plate like a children’s book illustration meant to convey sadness.
Cite this Entry
“Sprawled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sprawled. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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