intersperse
verb
in·ter·sperse
ˌin-tər-ˈspərs 
interspersed; interspersing
1
: to insert at intervals among other things
interspersing drawings throughout the text
2
: to place something at intervals in or among
intersperse a book with pictures
Did you know?
Intersperse comes from Latin interspersus, a combination of the prefix inter- ("between or among") and sparsus, the past participle of spargere, meaning "to scatter." Sparsus is also the source of sparse.
Examples of intersperse in a Sentence
You should intersperse these pictures evenly throughout the book.
Some seagulls were interspersed among the ducks.
Recent Examples on the Web
As mourners talked quietly, nursery rhymes were interspersed with traditional gospel hymns.
—
Bracey Harris,
NBC news,
28 June 2026
On his Instagram, happy photos of his family living the American dream are interspersed with violent admonitions about the forces lurking in his own community and seeking to destroy him.
—
Christopher Hooks,
Harpers Magazine,
23 June 2026
The visual intersperses footage from a trip the pair took to Iceland with clips of their Upstate New York home, a fitting backdrop to Sprague’s spectral vocals and wandering synth arcs.
—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
23 June 2026
Nolan seems to be striving for geographic realism interspersed with violent and fantastic episodes.
—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
21 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for intersperse
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Bracey Harris,
NBC news,
28 June 2026
On his Instagram, happy photos of his family living the American dream are interspersed with violent admonitions about the forces lurking in his own community and seeking to destroy him.
—
Christopher Hooks,
Harpers Magazine,
23 June 2026
The visual intersperses footage from a trip the pair took to Iceland with clips of their Upstate New York home, a fitting backdrop to Sprague’s spectral vocals and wandering synth arcs.
—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
23 June 2026
Nolan seems to be striving for geographic realism interspersed with violent and fantastic episodes.
—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
21 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for intersperse
Cite this Entry
“Intersperse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intersperse. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
intersperse
verb
in·ter·sperse
ˌint-ər-ˈspərs
interspersed; interspersing
1
: to set here and there among other things
intersperse pictures in a book
2
: to vary with things inserted here and there
interspersed the photo album with her poetry
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