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
However, a Minnesota court struck down the binary trigger ban, arguing that the legislature violated the state constitution’s single-subject clause by burying the ban inside a sprawling spending bill.
—
Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2025
The new, fully customizable itinerary showcases equally powerful landscapes, ranging from the sweeping dunes of Sossusvlei to the vast deserts of Damaraland to the rugged mountains and sprawling plains of Kaokoland.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 3 Sep. 2025
From Laguna Beach coastal retreats to classic family homes in Irvine, the projects showcased in their portfolios are as varied as the sprawling region itself.
—Elizabeth Stamp, Architectural Digest, 3 Sep. 2025
Once confined to prison networks in Venezuela’s Aragua state, TDA has grown into a sprawling multinational criminal syndicate.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2025
Fordyce Bathhouse opened in 1915 as the grandest of them all with its ornate facade, panes of stained glass, white marble staircases, sunny sitting rooms, and sprawling square footage.
—Caroline Rogers, Southern Living, 2 Sep. 2025
The legislation was a sprawling effort to federalize many electoral responsibilities traditionally reserved for the states.
—Karlyn Bowman, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
With the confidence of someone who knows that he is well loved, the 145-pound dog wedges himself right between his two owners, sprawling out and enjoying a cuddle.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
Small wonder that although the statue is expressive of Jordan’s signature, physically sprawling move, one leg is as stiff as a pharaoh’s, his feet are weirdly flat, his jersey is pooched as if a possum were wriggling inside it.
—Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 30 Aug. 2025
Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2025
The new, fully customizable itinerary showcases equally powerful landscapes, ranging from the sweeping dunes of Sossusvlei to the vast deserts of Damaraland to the rugged mountains and sprawling plains of Kaokoland.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 3 Sep. 2025
From Laguna Beach coastal retreats to classic family homes in Irvine, the projects showcased in their portfolios are as varied as the sprawling region itself.
—Elizabeth Stamp, Architectural Digest, 3 Sep. 2025
Once confined to prison networks in Venezuela’s Aragua state, TDA has grown into a sprawling multinational criminal syndicate.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2025
Fordyce Bathhouse opened in 1915 as the grandest of them all with its ornate facade, panes of stained glass, white marble staircases, sunny sitting rooms, and sprawling square footage.
—Caroline Rogers, Southern Living, 2 Sep. 2025
The legislation was a sprawling effort to federalize many electoral responsibilities traditionally reserved for the states.
—Karlyn Bowman, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
With the confidence of someone who knows that he is well loved, the 145-pound dog wedges himself right between his two owners, sprawling out and enjoying a cuddle.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
Small wonder that although the statue is expressive of Jordan’s signature, physically sprawling move, one leg is as stiff as a pharaoh’s, his feet are weirdly flat, his jersey is pooched as if a possum were wriggling inside it.
—Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 30 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sprawling
Verb
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Gold prices hit fresh highs this week , with spot values extending their record run above the $3,500 mark into the middle of the week.—
Chloe Taylor,
CNBC,
3 Sep. 2025
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The school has not yet released a final number after extending the deadline for international students to accept a slot off of Harvard’s wait list, a university spokesperson told CNN.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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And then there’s Morton, who entered the game against the ChiSox sitting at 199 – nine more than fearsome lefty Randy Johnson, 13 more than crafty knuckleballer Tim Wakefield and 29 more than award namesake Cy Young – thanks to four HBPs as a Tiger.—
Ryan Ford,
Freep.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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Greece is one of the most seismically active countries in Europe, sitting atop the complex boundary between the African and Eurasian tectonic plates.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Adversaries appear as competing bids, regulatory hurdles or stakeholders with diverging agendas.—
Jessica Billingsley,
Rolling Stone,
2 Sep. 2025
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The Morgan Stanley strategists attributed the diverging paths for the economy and the market to the varying impacts that the specific policy changes have had on different sectors of the market, and those segments’ differently weighted share of the total S & P 500 market capitalization.—
Brian Evans,
CNBC,
23 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The Godfather director steals the show here as an energetic, pugnacious and visionary circus ringleader who put his money where his mouth was for a project that wound up flopping critically and commercially.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Aug. 2025
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Domnhall Gleeson stars as the new editor-in-chief of a flopping Toledo newspaper tasked with revitalising its output.—
Lucy Ford,
Time,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Student Experience and Programming — expanding academic programs such as the Capstone Design, the Flowers Invention Studio, and the Student Competition Center by supporting faculty mentors and students.—
Michael T. Nietzel,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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France, which plans to recognize a Palestinian state this month at the United Nations, also voiced its opposition to Israel expanding operations in Gaza.—
Rachel Wolf,
FOXNews.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Puck reported that the staffer accused Murray of straddling her near a prop bed on set and kissing her on the mouth through the face masks that both were wearing under COVID-19 protocols.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
4 Sep. 2025
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The video, which bears a watermark suggesting it was livestreamed on the video platform Kick, showed Jackson straddling Smith before repeatedly punching him in the face and the side of his head, even when Smith was lying motionless.—
Ben Morse,
CNN Money,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Randi Ellis can remember the sounds radiating from the family’s garage early each morning.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
30 Aug. 2025
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Friday night, Boone pulled out every trick in his repertoire, radiating with the intensity of a vaudeville-era star playing to the cheapest seats in the house.—
Ross Raihala,
Twin Cities,
23 Aug. 2025
Verb
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While squatting weight in high school gym class, Welch, 18, felt his right knee become uncomfortable.—
Angelina Liu,
People.com,
22 Aug. 2025
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Stooping is easier than squatting, and humans tend to choose the more comfortable strategy.—
Payal Dhar,
IEEE Spectrum,
10 Sep. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Sprawling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sprawling. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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