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.

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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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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 Review There are sprawling meadows made for picnicking, walking trails that snake through dense forests, and a picturesque lake. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Aug. 2026 Why people don’t like it Some residents are worried about how these sprawling energy farms will affect local soil, especially near farmland. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 20 Aug. 2026 Berezovska’s family home sits on its edge, next to sprawling fields. — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026 Casino operations continued normally during the incident, Thunder Valley representatives said, and many guests on the sprawling property were likely unaware of the attack. — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 20 Aug. 2026 Salaün went sprawling, rolling her ankle after stepping on the foot of Lynx center Natasha Howard. — Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026 Haleigh MurphyBecky Mitchell Haleigh Breann Murphy spent much of her childhood in and around Killeen Texas, in the shadow of the sprawling Fort Hood Army Base. — Dateline Nbc, NBC news, 20 Aug. 2026 Entering this sprawling time-travel bubble, visitors can pan for gold like the fabled Forty-Niners, talk with crusty prospectors and peruse a market center for wares. — John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2026 Evacuation zones continue to change as firefighters work across the sprawling incident. — Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sprawling
  1. extending
  2. sitting
  3. diverging
  4. flopping
  5. expanding
  6. straddling
  7. radiating
  8. squatting
Verb
  • Out on a wooden platform extending over San Diego’s Mission Bay, young women sway from side to side, riding an imaginary wave to the beats.
    — Kailyn Brown, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • In my view, extending the commitment to five years would provide greater stability for exhibitors and strengthen the position that the combined company intends to make a sustained investment in theatrical films.
    — Cory Jacobson, HollywoodReporter, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of extending
Verb
  • People instinctively grab whoever happens to be sitting beside them.
    — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The Wiley painting, which was commissioned by the State Department in 2013, features four Dominican models, two men sitting and two women standing against a blue floral backdrop.
    — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of sitting
Verb
  • PennDOT will be implementing a diverging diamond interchange near Robinson Town Centre that doesn't use the existing bridge over the Parkway West.
    — John Shumway, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • There is a constant sense of movement, of visions and voices converging, diverging, allowing gaps and silences, but also a sense of subterranean connectedness.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of diverging
Verb
  • The video shows the peacock, referred to by some in the neighborhood as Sugar, seemingly flopping around then collapsing.
    — Megan Fahrney, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The papers were flopping off the edge of his desk, trembling in the breeze from the window; her hand reached out to stop them.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of flopping
Verb
  • Satellite imagery has already spied an area of rising seas expanding north from South and Central America to California’s Baja Peninsula, with a northward expansion expected from there.
    — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
  • All six of his solo shows — Sleepwalk with Me, My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend, Thank God For Jokes, The New One, The Old Man & The Pool and The Good Life — have enjoyed successful runs on and off Broadway before expanding their audiences on Netflix.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of expanding
Verb
  • An example is the rare Enantio, from the mountainous region straddling Veneto and Trentino.
    — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 14 Aug. 2026
  • In the world of traffic oddities, one car straddling a bike path median — like a gymnast poised on a balance beam — could be called a fluke.
    — Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026
Definition of straddling
Verb
  • The map shows other towers close by, each radiating a string that is fastened to the map when other towers radio in readings.
    — Robert Sullivan, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The first breathtaking photos of totality for the total solar eclipse 2026 are pouring in, revealing incredible views of the sun's atmosphere radiating out from behind the moon's colossal silhouette.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of radiating
Verb
  • With their three dogs in view, Prince Harry could be seen squatting and bracing for a big hug from Lili, who was running into his arms; while Meghan reached out for Archie who was running towards her.
    — Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 23 July 2026
  • The Eras Tour performer is pictured squatting in her dreamy pink-and-white strapless gown by designer Markarian, offering a closer look at her teardrop earrings and classic low-bun updo.
    — Ashleigh Carter, InStyle, 17 July 2026
Definition of squatting

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Cite this Entry

“Sprawling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sprawling. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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