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
a sprawl of stores and restaurants
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
Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026
Prosecutors had acquired the material during their sprawling investigation into a 350-million-euro (around $410 million) investment by the Vatican Secretariat of State into a London property.
—ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026
Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2026
Their sprawl and unruliness, their capacity to be anything.
—Literary Hub, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sprawl
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Verb
Beachgoers can walk along the sprawling bay's seven individual beaches or wander out into the water, where the tide stays relatively low.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026
Prosecutors had acquired the material during their sprawling investigation into a 350-million-euro (around $410 million) investment by the Vatican Secretariat of State into a London property.
—ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026
Noun
Arizona’s rapid low-density residential development sprawl is driven by its rabid encouragement of ever more population growth.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2026
Their sprawl and unruliness, their capacity to be anything.
—Literary Hub, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sprawl
Cite this Entry
“Sprawl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sprawl. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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