Synonyms of sprawling

sprawling

verb

present participle of sprawl

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

• extending
• diverging
• expanding
• radiating
• dividing
• branching
• scattering
• spreading (out)
• splaying
• increasing
• parting
• proliferating
• swelling
• fanning (out)
• separating
• rising
• mushrooming
• dispersing
• escalating
• climbing
• mounting
• enlarging
• multiplying
• forking
• diffusing
• dispensing
• rolling up
• snowballing
• raying
• dissipating
• waxing
• sowing
• gaining

Dissimilar Words

• containing
• limiting
• restricting
• contracting
• diminishing
• decreasing
• dwindling
• focusing
• receding
• waning
• converging
• lessening
• meeting
• joining
• concentrating
• funneling

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

• sitting
• flopping
• straddling
• spreading (out)
• stretching (out)
• squatting
• lounging
• resting
• relaxing
• slouching
• reclining
• plopping
• setting
• lying back
• plunking
• lolling
• basking
• plumping
• reposing
• planking
• flumping
• kicking back
• perching
• opening
• expanding
• unfurling
• splaying
• unfolding
• extending
• flaring (out)
• fanning (out)
• outstretching
• outspreading

Dissimilar Words

• standing
• rising
• arising
• getting up

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of sprawling

Defenders must protect sprawling environments, while attackers need to find only one viable path. — Shane Buckley, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026

Just a few kilometers farther downriver lies the Gran Rosario agro-export hub, a sprawling network of ports and processing plants and one of the world's largest agricultural export centers. — Sebastián López Brach, The Dial, 15 Sep. 2026

Nearly 500 federal, state and local officers descended on the sprawling plant, detaining 475 workers, mostly South Koreans. — Hanna Park, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2026

Soul searching over transgender issues is one facet of a sprawling identity crisis that Democrats are confronting during the midterms and before the next presidential election. — Steve Peoples, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Of course, Stewart grows her own produce at her sprawling farm in upstate New York. — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 14 Sep. 2026

This rectangular tent is a great option for covering either a patio dining set with a long table or a sprawling outdoor couch. — Sian Babish, PEOPLE, 14 Sep. 2026

The chaos gripping the court stems from the collapse of Banco Master, a mid-sized bank worth up to $16 billion in assets, which was shut down last November after a sprawling investigation into a fraud scheme involving billions of reais. — ABC News, 13 Sep. 2026

Baker’s been a visible presence on Capitol Hill since taking the reins at the NCAA in 2023, overseeing a sprawling network of sports from football and basketball to wrestling and volleyball. — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 11 Sep. 2026