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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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.
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sprawled
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
There are still plenty of wildlife sightings from the canal, gators sprawled out across the limestone and countless eyes peek out of the tea-colored water.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 16 Mar. 2026
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
There are still plenty of wildlife sightings from the canal, gators sprawled out across the limestone and countless eyes peek out of the tea-colored water.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 16 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sprawled
Verb
-
The two men forged a close friendship that extended to the wider Kennedy clan.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Each item functioned as both artifact and anecdote, offering insight into a man whose passions extended far beyond music.—
Preezy Brown,
Rolling Stone,
9 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
-
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
-
But the college and pro game have diverged.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Eastern and western ancestries in Karelian Mesolithic dogs suggest that two lineages diverged during the Paleolithic.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The comedy flopped at the box office, but Drop Dead Gorgeous proved ahead of its time — the movie cast Amy Adams in her first film role — and has since been declared a cult classic.—
Debby Wolfinsohn,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Media companies a decade ago raced to engage young, bilingual Latinos by launching start-ups, including a joint venture between ABC News and Univision called Fusion that flopped.—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Video shot in the town of Fallon showed shattered glass and food scattered on the floor in the aisles of a grocery store.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2026
-
But it’s scattered across teams, channels, and systems.—
Jarrod Martin,
Fortune,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
In the following months, painful shocks radiated through her chest and back.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Regardless, the influence of Amazing Stories’ founding in 1926 radiated throughout the genre’s history like the light through Bradbury’s grandparents’ window, with authors who had their debut in Amazing Stories running the canonical gamut from Asimov to Zelzany.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 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 15 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
