sprawled; sprawling; sprawls
1
: to lie or sit with arms and legs spread out
2
: to spread or develop irregularly or without restraint
bushes sprawling along the road
sprawling suburbs
a sprawling narrative
3
a
: to creep or clamber awkwardly
b
archaic
: to lie thrashing or tossing about
: to cause to spread out carelessly or awkwardly
sprawled out her books on the table
1
: an irregularly spread or scattered group or mass
2
3
: the act, posture, or condition of sprawling
Examples of sprawl in a Sentence
Verb
The kids sprawled on the floor to watch TV.
She tripped and went sprawling into the table.
The city sprawls along the coastline.
The bushes were sprawling along the road.
Recent Examples on the Web
Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 14 Oct. 2025
Under former President Joe Biden, the federal government was moving the sprawling project through the federal permitting process as one proposal.
—Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
Alex Ross, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
Some sprawl out behind elaborate ceremonial gates, while others quietly integrate with the urban fabric; some are significantly pedestrianized, while others center on major intersections.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sprawl
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Verb
The features can include full-size bedrooms with showers, spiral staircases between decks, movie theaters, and sprawling dining rooms.
—Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 14 Oct. 2025
Under former President Joe Biden, the federal government was moving the sprawling project through the federal permitting process as one proposal.
—Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
Yet the entire spectacle felt inadequate to the weighty sprawl of Chabon’s novel, which celebrates the exterior glamour of pop culture while observing its deceptions.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
Some sprawl out behind elaborate ceremonial gates, while others quietly integrate with the urban fabric; some are significantly pedestrianized, while others center on major intersections.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sprawl
Cite this Entry
“Sprawl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sprawl. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
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