1
as in to extend
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 to stretch (out)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of sprawl
The sprawling complex is made up of 83 buildings and contains defense and protection devices dating from the beginning of the Shogun period.
—
Lauren Schuster, Charlotte Observer, 23 Apr. 2026
Even with the chop, the sprawling compound still ranks among the most expensive homes currently for sale worldwide.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 23 Apr. 2026
Located inside the Big Island of Hawaii's sprawling Volcanoes National Park, Kilauea is among the most active volcanoes on Earth.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
The sprawling burger chain exploded in Southern California in the 1960s before expanding to more than 1,000 locations internationally.
—Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sprawl
Lauren Schuster, Charlotte Observer, 23 Apr. 2026
Even with the chop, the sprawling compound still ranks among the most expensive homes currently for sale worldwide.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 23 Apr. 2026
Located inside the Big Island of Hawaii's sprawling Volcanoes National Park, Kilauea is among the most active volcanoes on Earth.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
The sprawling burger chain exploded in Southern California in the 1960s before expanding to more than 1,000 locations internationally.
—Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sprawl
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sprawl
Verb
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Batting from the right side, Romo’s home run to left-center against Suter in the sixth extended the lead to 4-1.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
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Coach Luis Enrique's PSG is at full strength while Vincent Kompany's Bayern has already clinched a record-extending 35th Bundesliga championship and remains on course for a treble.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Major global central banks are set to hold interest rates steady this week, but are expected to diverge on monetary policy once the fallout from the Middle East conflict becomes clearer.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
27 Apr. 2026
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Two Paths Toward the Same Problem After college, their paths diverged.—
NIa Bowers,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Most evenings, Mohamed Ismail would sit at his local ‘ahwa, one of the small, no-frills coffee shops that are the cornerstone of social life in Cairo.—
Mirette Magdy,
Bloomberg,
27 Apr. 2026
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While Corcoran’s take sits well outside the norms of good personal finance advice, her experience is perhaps unusual.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Moon moves through your 9th House of Perspective, expanding how your ideas are received.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
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At Fremantle, Katrosar built and expanded a global advertising business across streaming, broadcast, social and branded partnerships.—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Under Cook, the company has become less surprising but massively financially successful; some of Apple’s newer products have flopped or underperformed, but far more have become and stayed excellent thanks to years of competent iteration.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
24 Apr. 2026
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Large blooms can cause shoots to flop.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Bell, whose screen roles have long radiated decency and sensitivity, channels that guilelessness once more, only to expose it as yet another façade that helps Niall to conceal his darker impulses.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
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This X-ray glow is radiated when the heavy ions of the solar wind, like carbon and oxygen, grab an electron from neutral atoms in either our outer atmosphere or the heliosphere.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The outdoor offerings—which often include boating, fishing, picnicking, hiking, golfing, and lounging on the shores with a good lake book—are great ways to spend newly free hours on weekdays and weekends.—
Carolanne Griffith Roberts,
Southern Living,
25 Apr. 2026
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This library nook offers a place to lounge and curl up with a favorite book.—
Lacey Howard,
Better Homes & Gardens,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Somebody who is just living greatness and never rests on that laurel, but is always pushing herself to expand as an artist.—
Lexi Lane,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
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The whole security architecture rests on those layers.—
Shane Harris,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sprawl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sprawl. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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