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
Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 27 Oct. 2024
Instead of a sprawling space filled with dozens of travelers, Apt. 1929 feels like a private retreat—something that few travelers know about and even fewer get to experience.
—Jordi Lippe-McGraw, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2024
Conor Dougherty, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2024
As SaaS applications grow in popularity, so does the risk of sprawl, increasing the need for rationalization to get a comprehensive inventory of your application catalog.
—Conal Gallagher, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sprawl 
Verb
The beachfront property is sprawling, with a resort, residences, a massive spa and an award-winning 18-hole TPC golf course.
—Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 27 Oct. 2024
Instead of a sprawling space filled with dozens of travelers, Apt. 1929 feels like a private retreat—something that few travelers know about and even fewer get to experience.
—Jordi Lippe-McGraw, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2024
Noun
And that pattern of expansion is resulting in the same problems — congestion, smog, water shortages, sprawl — that many residents moved there from California to escape.
—Conor Dougherty, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2024
As SaaS applications grow in popularity, so does the risk of sprawl, increasing the need for rationalization to get a comprehensive inventory of your application catalog.
—Conal Gallagher, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sprawl
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sprawl.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near sprawl
Cite this Entry
“Sprawl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sprawl. Accessed 3 Nov. 2024.
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