1
as in extending
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 sitting
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 sprawling
Overseeing the sprawling security apparatus is a legion of federal agencies, state and local police departments and private entities.
—
Jake Offenhartz, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2026
Their venue last Friday was The Revere, a sprawling site about five miles out from a national forest known for towering hardwoods and evergreens set against the North Georgia mountains.
—Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 6 June 2026
The sprawling downtown destination is hosting the FIFA Fan Festival Miami, June 13 through July 5.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 6 June 2026
With their long, sprawling vines, many tomato varieties grow better with cages, stakes, or other supports.
—Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 6 June 2026
The sprawling ensemble cast of Game of Thrones also included Sean Bean, Mark Addy, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Michelle Fairley, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, Richard Madden, Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams, Alfie Allen and Gwendoline Christie.
—Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026
The ski lift at Le K2 Palace grants direct access to the sprawling ski areas of France's Les Trois Vallées, the largest ski area in the world.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 June 2026
This adds yet another layer of controversy to the sprawling legal aftermath of the now-defunct 2020 election in Georgia.
—Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 31 May 2026
Less experienced workers can get lost on sprawling teams, line managers can get overwhelmed, and everyone in between can feel rudderless.
—Claire Zillman, Fortune, 30 May 2026
Jake Offenhartz, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2026
Their venue last Friday was The Revere, a sprawling site about five miles out from a national forest known for towering hardwoods and evergreens set against the North Georgia mountains.
—Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 6 June 2026
The sprawling downtown destination is hosting the FIFA Fan Festival Miami, June 13 through July 5.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 6 June 2026
With their long, sprawling vines, many tomato varieties grow better with cages, stakes, or other supports.
—Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 6 June 2026
The sprawling ensemble cast of Game of Thrones also included Sean Bean, Mark Addy, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Michelle Fairley, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, Richard Madden, Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams, Alfie Allen and Gwendoline Christie.
—Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026
The ski lift at Le K2 Palace grants direct access to the sprawling ski areas of France's Les Trois Vallées, the largest ski area in the world.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 June 2026
This adds yet another layer of controversy to the sprawling legal aftermath of the now-defunct 2020 election in Georgia.
—Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 31 May 2026
Less experienced workers can get lost on sprawling teams, line managers can get overwhelmed, and everyone in between can feel rudderless.
—Claire Zillman, Fortune, 30 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sprawling
Verb
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The original 1900 barn has been expanded into a five-bedroom, open-plan home with decks extending from both levels and a 25-foot-tall great room topped by a loft with wood railings.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
8 June 2026
-
Right fielder Jung Hoo Lee stayed white-hot by extending his MLB-leading hitting streak to 15 games with an opposite-field RBI single in the top of the first.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
The person sitting between Sajani and Suvali, Reshma, stepped up to be Sasmita.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 May 2026
-
Elder’s sculpture was sitting outside of Bee Hive KC over Memorial Day Weekend when a man who was visibly angry allegedly began vandalizing the honeybee, according to Elder.—
Jenna Ebbers,
Kansas City Star,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
That new reality is the result of Iran’s relentless efforts to link the fate of both conflicts, and of the increasingly diverging priorities of the US president and the Israeli prime minister.—
Jeremy Diamond,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
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The diverging opinions that arose during a public hearing in Hartford this spring revealed a host of concerns, from cost to quality to workforce needs.—
Emilia Otte,
Hartford Courant,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Perhaps the poster child for the flopping phenomenon is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 May 2026
-
For all the bright spots on Islands’ state champion soccer team, nothing shone brighter than its golden hairdos flopping around the pitch.—
Jack Leo,
AJC.com,
23 May 2026
Verb
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Vietnam is expanding rooftop solar adoption as part of a broader push toward renewable energy and long-term energy security.—
Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
5 June 2026
-
Building on its successful rollout in Brazil, Juspay is expanding Click to Pay globally to eliminate manual card entry, which minimizes checkout friction, reduces cart abandonment and boosts conversion rates.—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz,
Footwear News,
4 June 2026
Verb
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There’s a fine line between lucky and cursed, however, and Pulisic is straddling it.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2026
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Istanbul, Turkey Istanbul’s walkability comes from its layered history and dramatic setting straddling Europe and Asia.—
Laura Begley Bloom,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
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This process is currently being pursued for areas like the physics of energy radiating through the atmosphere, sea ice cover, and ocean circulation.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
8 June 2026
-
Insulate sun-facing walls and garage doors to block heat from radiating inside.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
2 June 2026
Verb
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Corvette, particularly, feels outside of it all, as a woman who dreams of being a designer herself but is currently squatting in a closed fast food chicken shop and being haunted by a boulder of debt (like, literally).—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 May 2026
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In a new technical blog, the company demonstrated Atlas rotating its torso 180 degrees, squatting to pick up a mini-fridge, and transporting it while dynamically adjusting to shifting internal weight.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sprawling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sprawling. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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