1
as in extends
to extend outwards from or as if from a central point
The suburbs sprawl for miles beyond the city's downtown.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
2
as in sits
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
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 sprawls
District 9 goes from a compact district to one that sprawls 120 miles from Orlando International Airport to Moore Haven on the edge of Lake Okeechobee.
—
Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 May 2026
Chicago One of the world's largest science museums, the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry sprawls over more than 400,000 square feet.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 30 Apr. 2026
Osmon’s cast of characters sometimes sprawls to confounding breadth, but her linchpin figures are Springsteen, Mellencamp, Seger, and Petty.
—Jack Hamilton, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026
If your budget stretches to it, the 6,700-square-foot Royal Suite sprawls across the entire top floor of the building closest to the sea, with endless ocean views and multiple terraces featuring an outdoor pool and a jacuzzi.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Apr. 2026
The city of Los Angeles sprawls across roughly 500 square miles, creating logistical hurdles if nothing else for a candidate seeking citywide office from a remote location, noted Democratic political consultant Mike Trujillo.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
The main home’s primary suite sprawls across two levels, with room for a private office, gym, or library.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 9 Apr. 2026
Stripped back to just Stephen O’Malley and Greg Anderson, the drone-metal titans explore the minutiae of microtonal vibrations on an album that sprawls like land art.
—Daniel Bromfield, Pitchfork, 4 Apr. 2026
According to the European Avalanche Warning Services (EAWS), at least 99 people have died since October 2025, mostly in the Alps — the mountain range that serves as the continent’s skiing hub and sprawls across several countries including France, Italy, Switzerland and Austria.
—Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 22 Feb. 2026
Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 May 2026
Chicago One of the world's largest science museums, the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry sprawls over more than 400,000 square feet.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 30 Apr. 2026
Osmon’s cast of characters sometimes sprawls to confounding breadth, but her linchpin figures are Springsteen, Mellencamp, Seger, and Petty.
—Jack Hamilton, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026
If your budget stretches to it, the 6,700-square-foot Royal Suite sprawls across the entire top floor of the building closest to the sea, with endless ocean views and multiple terraces featuring an outdoor pool and a jacuzzi.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Apr. 2026
The city of Los Angeles sprawls across roughly 500 square miles, creating logistical hurdles if nothing else for a candidate seeking citywide office from a remote location, noted Democratic political consultant Mike Trujillo.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
The main home’s primary suite sprawls across two levels, with room for a private office, gym, or library.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 9 Apr. 2026
Stripped back to just Stephen O’Malley and Greg Anderson, the drone-metal titans explore the minutiae of microtonal vibrations on an album that sprawls like land art.
—Daniel Bromfield, Pitchfork, 4 Apr. 2026
According to the European Avalanche Warning Services (EAWS), at least 99 people have died since October 2025, mostly in the Alps — the mountain range that serves as the continent’s skiing hub and sprawls across several countries including France, Italy, Switzerland and Austria.
—Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 22 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sprawls
Verb
-
The Israeli government and military have said forces will remain in a buffer zone that spans the countries' border and extends at least six miles into Lebanese territory, and that residents will not be allowed to return home, until the Hezbollah threat is removed.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The decision also extends to OPEC+, a larger group that consists of other oil producers such as Russia.—
Hanna Ziady,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Mackenzie Arnold made four saves for her third clean sheet of the season and fifth overall for Portland (6-1-1), which sits atop the league standings.—
Phuoc Nguyen,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2026
-
That translates to asking your stylist for something that sits between the lip and chin with a very blunt, controlled perimeter.—
Diana Tsui,
Footwear News,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
But his account of the incident significantly diverges from there.—
Nicole Blanchard,
Idaho Statesman,
1 May 2026
-
This is where the ACP diverges most sharply from the USPSTF, which supports biennial screening starting at 40, and from the ACR and SBI, which recommend going annually from that age.—
Allison Palmer,
Sacbee.com,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The sublime—a concept introduced by the first-century philosopher Longinus and later refined by Edmund Burke and Immanuel Kant—rests on an encounter with something too immense or too powerful for the human mind to comprehend fully.—
Sebastian Smee,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Our evidence rests in the eight spindly tomato plants poking up from small containers next to a large window in our back room.—
Jerry Shnay,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Mosquitoes target spots where heat radiates most, like the head and neck.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
1 May 2026
-
The rest of the property radiates outwards from here, incorporating four restaurants, rooms and suites spread across a number of individual low-rise blocks, the Conrad Spa, and meeting and events space.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Star, which straddles Ada and Canyon counties in the northern stretches of the Treasure Valley, has stood out in recent years for its explosive growth.—
Rose Evans
May 2,
Idaho Statesman,
2 May 2026
-
The 400-acre Carowinds amusement park straddles the North Carolina and South Carolina border in Charlotte and Fort Mill.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
One of the best bigs in [expletive] basketball history flops.—
Matt Schooley,
CBS News,
4 May 2026
-
Fortunately for shareholders, the stock grants come with a feature similar to equity options that somewhat reduces Musk’s payday, especially in a case like the one above where the plan flops.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
29 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The effortlessly cool shape sits low on the hips, with a shorter inseam that slouches through a subtle, flattering drape.—
Kristina Rutkowski,
Footwear News,
22 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sprawls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sprawls. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
