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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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.
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 sprawling
The surge in demand is already driving up energy prices and fueling political backlash as sprawling data centers turn into election-season flashpoints in the communities where they are being constructed.
—
Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2025
On June 7, 2021, Murdaugh placed a hysterical 911 call to report that Maggie and Paul had been shot to death near the dog kennels on his family’s sprawling Lowcountry hunting estate.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 5 Nov. 2025
The sprawling Jax Film Studios – located in the heart of Riyadh – are now equipped with a virtual production stage designed by prominent VFX outfit Pixomondo and equipped with Sony’s latest Verona LED screen technology.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 5 Nov. 2025
Since the mid-1990s, Springsteen’s primary residence has been a sprawling horse ranch in Colts Neck, New Jersey, not far from his hometown of Freehold.
—Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 5 Nov. 2025
Season 1 wrapped in January 2025, leaving fans eager to return to the sprawling oilfields of West Texas.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Nov. 2025
The sprawling property, which totals approximately 20,000 acres, has become something of a royal hotspot over the years, as the site has hosted many events for the British royal family.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
In the sprawling home of my great-uncle, who spent many years as a sales representative for Harper & Row—before it was absorbed into HarperCollins, now my own publisher—and the duplex townhouses of my grandparents.
—Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
Located in Santa Monica, the sleek, sprawling facility combines a private dog park with a café, bar and event space, offering a stylish retreat where dogs can play and their owners can network, grab a drink or just chill.
—Avery Stone, HollywoodReporter, 29 Oct. 2025
Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2025
On June 7, 2021, Murdaugh placed a hysterical 911 call to report that Maggie and Paul had been shot to death near the dog kennels on his family’s sprawling Lowcountry hunting estate.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 5 Nov. 2025
The sprawling Jax Film Studios – located in the heart of Riyadh – are now equipped with a virtual production stage designed by prominent VFX outfit Pixomondo and equipped with Sony’s latest Verona LED screen technology.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 5 Nov. 2025
Since the mid-1990s, Springsteen’s primary residence has been a sprawling horse ranch in Colts Neck, New Jersey, not far from his hometown of Freehold.
—Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 5 Nov. 2025
Season 1 wrapped in January 2025, leaving fans eager to return to the sprawling oilfields of West Texas.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Nov. 2025
The sprawling property, which totals approximately 20,000 acres, has become something of a royal hotspot over the years, as the site has hosted many events for the British royal family.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
In the sprawling home of my great-uncle, who spent many years as a sales representative for Harper & Row—before it was absorbed into HarperCollins, now my own publisher—and the duplex townhouses of my grandparents.
—Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
Located in Santa Monica, the sleek, sprawling facility combines a private dog park with a café, bar and event space, offering a stylish retreat where dogs can play and their owners can network, grab a drink or just chill.
—Avery Stone, HollywoodReporter, 29 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sprawling
Verb
-
Consider Tupperware’s FridgeSmart Container Set your secret weapon to extending the life of your produce, organizing your food, and adding money back to your pocket.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Schumer, who voted against the package, had pressed for a guarantee on extending Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, a Democratic demand that was ultimately not met in the deal.—
Deputy News Editor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
While the big luxury brands spent the pandemic and post-pandemic era driving up prices on shoppers who were sitting at home and looking to spend, the sector is now feeling the aftereffects with much shakier sales in a challenging consumer landscape.—
Evan Clark,
Footwear News,
10 Nov. 2025
-
So the thing that’s exciting me, even more than sitting behind the judges table and being on television, is hanging out with my friends.—
McKinley Franklin,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Consider a night out with friends, and the diverging consequences of buying a round of shots versus opening up Instagram.—
Dan Brooks,
The Atlantic,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Now, among residents aged 15 to 49, those rates are about 5% higher, a pattern that began diverging in the 2000s and has steadily widened.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In the video, the mako shark bursts from the water and lands on the bow of the boat, flopping around before coming to rest near the front of the vessel.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Van Gogh, now visually fitting in with his family, then scampered about his habitat with his ears flopping along with him.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The concept is expanding into practice in the state as a solution to regional food distribution challenges.—
Cristina LaRue,
Arkansas Online,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Future work will focus on integrating snow-deposition modeling with PV yield simulations to more accurately predict energy losses and on expanding analyses to more complex, uneven alpine terrain.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
As Jaramillo was on top of Rustrian, straddling him, Rustrian grabbed Jaramillo’s gun and shot him several times, the video showed and Cordero-Stutz confirmed.—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Also straddling the rock-alternative divide are Baltimore hardcore outfit Turnstile.—
Walden Green,
Pitchfork,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The beauty is radiating from the inside out!—
Elizabeth Ayoola,
Essence,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Do this in the early evening while there's still daylight and the ground is radiating heat.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Maintaining the tugboat became cumbersome, and three Zizian members opted to move into box trucks before squatting in a Bay Area trailer lot owned by Curtis Lind, then age 80, a former shipworker and grandfather of four.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Oct. 2025
-
His income is uncertain, and he’s been living with Bennett, a younger drinking buddy who, in turn, is basically squatting in his dead aunt’s apartment.—
Willing Davidson,
New Yorker,
19 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sprawling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sprawling. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share