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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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sprawled
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
Velvet curtains flank the floor-to-ceiling windows for some earthy contrast, while a long sectional sofa invites you to spend a relaxing night sprawled out in front of the TV.
—Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 30 May 2026
Cops responding to a call about an assault in progress found Freeman sprawled on the ground, bleeding from his chest wound.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 29 May 2026
The lively event was sprawled out on the beach between 11th and 14th Streets on Ocean Drive.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 25 May 2026
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
Velvet curtains flank the floor-to-ceiling windows for some earthy contrast, while a long sectional sofa invites you to spend a relaxing night sprawled out in front of the TV.
—Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 30 May 2026
Cops responding to a call about an assault in progress found Freeman sprawled on the ground, bleeding from his chest wound.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 29 May 2026
The lively event was sprawled out on the beach between 11th and 14th Streets on Ocean Drive.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 25 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sprawled
Verb
-
Those dividends extended beyond pen and pad.—
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
12 June 2026
-
The post started with a video of Dobrev posing in front of a mirror while wearing a white Knicks shirt which just barely extended past her hips, pairing the shirt with just a black sleep mask and no pants.—
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Freese sat alone outside the box.—
Paul Tenorio,
New York Times,
7 July 2025
-
Dugan sat between Biskupic and another lawyer, Jason Luczak.—
John Diedrich,
jsonline.com,
7 July 2025
Verb
-
The big story Since the pandemic, the China story has diverged as tech advances grab attention, while traditional industries fade.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
15 June 2026
-
But then our paths diverged, there were disagreements over the team’s direction.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
Free agents such as Joakim Noah flopped.—
CBS New York Team,
CBS News,
2 June 2026
-
The willingness to protect meaning over volume is precisely what has made the brand more culturally relevant than numerous others that came up alongside it and flopped.—
Jeetendr Sehdev,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Ryne Nelson scattered nine hits over seven efficient innings, while closer Paul Sewald survived Donovan Walton’s two-out homer in the ninth to lock down his 18th save in 19 chances.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2026
-
One of the areas hit includes Bridgeview, where pieces of roofing remained scattered around an apartment building on 79th Street after powerful winds ripped through the area.—
Darius Johnson,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
In the first slide, Olive rested on Benson’s chest as the two lounged on a sofa on a sunny day, looking at the camera.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
9 June 2026
-
His wife lounged near their tent, sunning and reading.—
Byron W. Dalrymple,
Outdoor Life,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
For an object at a particular temperature, the total energy radiated at all wavelengths is given by the Stefan-Boltzmann law, after its two discoverers, Josef Stefan (1835-1893) and Ludwig Boltzmann (1844-1906).—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
11 June 2026
-
Their loss radiated outward like ripples in water after a stone is dropped.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 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
-
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 18 Jun. 2026.
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