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
Some third graders focused on drawing pictures as several students sprawled across a rug at the front of the classroom.
—
Noah Alcala Bach, San Antonio Express-News, 22 Apr. 2026
Video shot by a bystander showed Bostic sprawled face down on the ground as an officer knelt on his back, pulling an arm back to handcuff him.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Against the Denver Nuggets on March 14, James sprawled across the floor for a loose ball and forced a tie-up that eventually helped lead to the Lakers tying the game in regulation before winning in overtime.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 6 Apr. 2026
The bear sprawled across one of the carcasses, watching the wolves leave.
—Frank Glaser, Outdoor Life, 1 Apr. 2026
In a TikTok video shared on Thursday under the username @hazy_bmd, the puppy, Hazel, is seen enjoying a quiet moment in the living room, she is sprawled out watching television, surrounded by toys of all sizes, and wearing a pink diaper—an image that quickly sets the lighthearted tone of the clip.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Two minutes later, Brown drove for a hard-charging layup that left Chet Holmgren sprawled on the parquet beneath the basket.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
Friends are sprawled out on the couch, or coming in and out of the room to show off their outfits, or sneaking mimosas into coffee cups.
—Jazmine Hughes, Allure, 24 Mar. 2026
With the dead and the wounded sprawled around them, the mocambos gulped the wine from the sacramental chalice.
—Literary Hub, 19 Mar. 2026
Noah Alcala Bach, San Antonio Express-News, 22 Apr. 2026
Video shot by a bystander showed Bostic sprawled face down on the ground as an officer knelt on his back, pulling an arm back to handcuff him.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Against the Denver Nuggets on March 14, James sprawled across the floor for a loose ball and forced a tie-up that eventually helped lead to the Lakers tying the game in regulation before winning in overtime.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 6 Apr. 2026
The bear sprawled across one of the carcasses, watching the wolves leave.
—Frank Glaser, Outdoor Life, 1 Apr. 2026
In a TikTok video shared on Thursday under the username @hazy_bmd, the puppy, Hazel, is seen enjoying a quiet moment in the living room, she is sprawled out watching television, surrounded by toys of all sizes, and wearing a pink diaper—an image that quickly sets the lighthearted tone of the clip.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Two minutes later, Brown drove for a hard-charging layup that left Chet Holmgren sprawled on the parquet beneath the basket.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
Friends are sprawled out on the couch, or coming in and out of the room to show off their outfits, or sneaking mimosas into coffee cups.
—Jazmine Hughes, Allure, 24 Mar. 2026
With the dead and the wounded sprawled around them, the mocambos gulped the wine from the sacramental chalice.
—Literary Hub, 19 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sprawled
Verb
-
Meanwhile, after getting completely smothered over the past two nights, the Red Sox offense jolted to life in the second inning and took advantage of a defensive miscue that extended the inning.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
-
There were two errors and two hits that extended the second inning and Snell was pulled after throwing 32 pitches in all.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Two Paths Toward the Same Problem After college, their paths diverged.—
NIa Bowers,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
-
More expensive oil has hurt airlines in particular because of the industry’s already big fuel bills, and stocks diverged in the industry following the latest profit reports.—
Stan Choe,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Under Cook, the company has become less surprising but massively financially successful; some of Apple’s newer products have flopped or underperformed, but far more have become and stayed excellent thanks to years of competent iteration.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Cuomo’s podcast and mayoral bid flopped.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Keep your pace simple and intentional so nothing gets scattered.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
27 Apr. 2026
-
In practice, it is scattered, inconsistently formatted, and largely inaccessible.—
Jessica Binns,
Vogue,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Nearby, people and their dogs who had moved into the shelter for the duration of the war lounged on air mattresses, scrolling through their phones.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Mar. 2026
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Just days after hard-launching her relationship with French filmmaker Romain Gavras, EmRata lounged in a plunging plush white robe while wearing nothing but some sparkling loud luxury accessories.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Bell, whose screen roles have long radiated decency and sensitivity, channels that guilelessness once more, only to expose it as yet another façade that helps Niall to conceal his darker impulses.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
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This X-ray glow is radiated when the heavy ions of the solar wind, like carbon and oxygen, grab an electron from neutral atoms in either our outer atmosphere or the heliosphere.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Her wedge of baked Alaska slouched on the plate like a children’s book illustration meant to convey sadness.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Silk pajama pants slouched over Wales Bonner loafers.—
Tyler Matthew Oyer
Feb. 27,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sprawled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sprawled. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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