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
For six hours, military and law enforcement personnel searched the sprawling base using real-time intelligence and tracking support from the NCIS Multiple Threat Alert Center and Regional Enforcement Action Capabilities Team.
—
Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 14 June 2026
OpenAI might usefully streamline its sprawling product line-up before listing.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 14 June 2026
Founded in 1964, the store has well over 100,000 new and used titles spread across the shelves of a sprawling indoor-outdoor space.
—Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 14 June 2026
Nearby are picnic tables and a sprawling fruit and vegetable garden and cast-iron barbecue pits for grilling — Barack Obama would like you to use those in the summer.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2026
More like a small city, larger than Pompeii, Hadrian’s Palace boasted a sprawling display of 30 monumental buildings, including palaces, libraries, baths, and theaters.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 13 June 2026
Shell companies registered across Dubai's sprawling free zones have for years masked the origin of Iranian oil and commodities.
—Azhar Sukri, CNBC, 13 June 2026
Foreign workers building a sprawling $350 million American Consulate in Milan were paid less than $2 an hour after being promised fair wages, according to Associated Press interviews with five former employees and a review of their employment letters and pay stubs.
—Arkansas Online, 13 June 2026
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
Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 14 June 2026
OpenAI might usefully streamline its sprawling product line-up before listing.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 14 June 2026
Founded in 1964, the store has well over 100,000 new and used titles spread across the shelves of a sprawling indoor-outdoor space.
—Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 14 June 2026
Nearby are picnic tables and a sprawling fruit and vegetable garden and cast-iron barbecue pits for grilling — Barack Obama would like you to use those in the summer.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2026
More like a small city, larger than Pompeii, Hadrian’s Palace boasted a sprawling display of 30 monumental buildings, including palaces, libraries, baths, and theaters.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 13 June 2026
Shell companies registered across Dubai's sprawling free zones have for years masked the origin of Iranian oil and commodities.
—Azhar Sukri, CNBC, 13 June 2026
Foreign workers building a sprawling $350 million American Consulate in Milan were paid less than $2 an hour after being promised fair wages, according to Associated Press interviews with five former employees and a review of their employment letters and pay stubs.
—Arkansas Online, 13 June 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sprawling
Verb
-
The Orioles made those big moves in signing Pete Alonso and trading for and extending Shane Baz.—
Stephen J. Nesbitt,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
-
Different genes for different cytokines, growth factors or other proteins could be swapped in to target specific diseases of the ocular surface, potentially extending the approach beyond corneal wounds to chronic inflammatory conditions.—
Samantha Agate,
Charlotte Observer,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
And sitting behind us was Gene Shalit.—
Wendy Naugle,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
-
Many businesses are profitable on paper but cash-poor because money owed is sitting uncollected.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
After losing Saint Pepsi to trademark law, DeRobertis and future funk took diverging paths—the former towards nu-disco and synthpop, the latter towards a new artistic disposition made up of anime girls and neon colors.—
Billie Bugara,
Pitchfork,
13 June 2026
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Workload characteristics are diverging, power density is rising and the right deployment model may vary by latency, regulatory requirements, data sensitivity and utilization patterns.—
Kiran Palla,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Plant peonies in partial sun and stake them early to prevent flopping and extend bloom quality.—
Nadia Hassani,
The Spruce,
12 June 2026
-
Throughout the playoffs, his ability to draw fouls drew the ire of fans who accuse him of flopping.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
According to Academy rules, the number of nominees in each category is determined by the volume of submissions, with the field expanding to a sixth lead or supporting nominee only once entries cross the 80-submission threshold.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
12 June 2026
-
Educational institutions, workforce agencies, employers, libraries, and community organizations each play an important role in expanding access to these capabilities.—
Michael Edmondson,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
The show struggles with tonal consistency, too, awkwardly straddling the genres of revenge epic, dark comedy and domestic drama.—
Emily McClanathan,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2026
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Prosecutors say the original driver of the Genesis who Baez was straddling in the street as well as the passenger who then jumped behind the wheel may have been involved in the SUV theft.—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
In one engraving from van Deventer’s manual, his arm is shown inserted into an empty uterus almost up to the elbow, the engraver’s close, texturing lines transforming his hand into a radiating light within a cavernous female darkness.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2026
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The home advantage definitely helps, with the American fans radiating a special kind of enthusiasm.—
Philipp Lahm,
New York Times,
14 June 2026
Verb
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Mahayahay Elementary School, located in the province of Davao Occidental, shared footage on social media showing frightened students squatting on the ground and then scurrying away when a canopy roof collapsed during the quake.—
David Chiu,
PEOPLE,
8 June 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Sprawling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sprawling. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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