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
New Orleans East, originally established in the nineteen-sixties as a mostly white bedroom community sprawling toward the Mississippi border, eventually became a predominantly Black area.
—
Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Set on a bluff overlooking the Pacific, this sprawling 30-acre resort has 263 rooms with gorgeous oceanfront views and generously sized soaking tubs.
—Acacia Gabriel, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2026
The social media content that comes out of the sprawling music festival screams spontaneity, but industrious planning is often buzzing behind the scenes weeks, or sometimes even months, in advance.
—Kaitlyn Huamani, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2026
Impressively, there’s also an art curator onboard offering up tours of the ship’s sprawling collection.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Apr. 2026
Although similar declarations have been made in Saudi Arabia and Egypt, the United Nations and European Union have not added the sprawling global group to terror lists.
—Brieanna J. Frank, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2026
Grow Vertically To stop your vegetables from sprawling and to make the most of your planting space, train them to grow vertically using a trellis.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Apr. 2026
As fans stood for the opening run, a sprawling 23-piece backing ensemble — including six band members, eight backing vocalists plus returning Church muse Joanna Cotten, and a mini-orchestra with four horns and four strings — some swayed.
—Theoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 6 Apr. 2026
But a sprawling South Miami-Dade estate listed for $18 million shows there’s impressive real estate inland, too.
—Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2026
Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Set on a bluff overlooking the Pacific, this sprawling 30-acre resort has 263 rooms with gorgeous oceanfront views and generously sized soaking tubs.
—Acacia Gabriel, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2026
The social media content that comes out of the sprawling music festival screams spontaneity, but industrious planning is often buzzing behind the scenes weeks, or sometimes even months, in advance.
—Kaitlyn Huamani, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2026
Impressively, there’s also an art curator onboard offering up tours of the ship’s sprawling collection.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Apr. 2026
Although similar declarations have been made in Saudi Arabia and Egypt, the United Nations and European Union have not added the sprawling global group to terror lists.
—Brieanna J. Frank, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2026
Grow Vertically To stop your vegetables from sprawling and to make the most of your planting space, train them to grow vertically using a trellis.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Apr. 2026
As fans stood for the opening run, a sprawling 23-piece backing ensemble — including six band members, eight backing vocalists plus returning Church muse Joanna Cotten, and a mini-orchestra with four horns and four strings — some swayed.
—Theoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 6 Apr. 2026
But a sprawling South Miami-Dade estate listed for $18 million shows there’s impressive real estate inland, too.
—Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sprawling
Verb
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The joint Real Housewives of Atlanta alums are extending their buzzy Queen & King of Reality Tour with stops in Birmingham, Tampa, Dallas and Houston, to take place this May and June, The Hollywood Reporter can exclusively reveal.—
McKinley Franklin,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Apr. 2026
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So Delta decided to up the ante with its new design, extending the lie-flat bed by more than three inches for even more comfort—for a total of six-and-a-half feet of space when fully extended.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Pacers were also sitting key pieces, and once Brooklyn fell behind big early, there wasn’t much urgency to change the script.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
10 Apr. 2026
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Queen Elizabeth's record reign encompassed 15 British prime ministers, audiences with 13 sitting American presidents and at least 14 generations of corgis roaming her royal homes, to her great joy.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The oil supply crisis has pushed both environmental advocates and the oil and gas industry to call for energy security, though from diverging standpoints.—
Chaewon Chung
April 13,
Sacbee.com,
14 Apr. 2026
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Four years on from its last season, and various other press tours, brand ambassadorships, and diverging lives later, there emerged distinctly different red carpet aesthetics.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Magnus shook his head, his damp hair flopping against the back of his neck.—
Ben Mezrich,
Vanity Fair,
6 Apr. 2026
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And who knows — the Warriors might have won Sunday if Porziņģis hadn’t fallen prey to Alpren Sengun’s flopping.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The executive director of Fisherman's Wharf Community Benefit District provided a statement, saying the wharf is evolving, new businesses are opening, and the area is expanding in ways that make Fisherman's Wharf more accessible and engaging.—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
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These are jobs not created, customers not served, communities that don’t reap the benefits of expanding local business.—
Walter Rowen,
Fortune,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Bryan straddling the political center reflects the disjointed desires of a nation that polls consistently inconsistent on issues, one that in 2024 yearned for both universal health care and the removal of hardworking longtime residents.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
8 Apr. 2026
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Such is the fine line Erik Spoelstra’s team is straddling between playoffs and lottery.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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For patrician statesmen, grandeur is usually understated, radiating restraint rather than gawk-inspiring shows of brazen wealth.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
13 Apr. 2026
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On the water, the 55-year-old mother seems to come alive, her adventurous spirit radiating outward, lighting her from the inside out.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Instead, use safe body mechanics, which can mean squatting to pick up a weight rather than bending over.—
Hadia Zainab,
CNN Money,
2 Apr. 2026
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Ion has been squatting in the basement of an apartment building, which is set to be levelled to make way for a luxury hotel called the Kontinental Boutique.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sprawling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sprawling. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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