1
: a sudden or violent twist or wrench of a joint with stretching or tearing of ligaments
2
: a sprained condition
sprained; spraining; sprains
: to injure by a sudden or severe twist
Examples of sprain in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 7 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, Magic forward Franz Wagner (left high ankle sprain injury management) will miss his ninth consecutive contest Saturday.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026
Andrew Dampf, Chicago Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026
Sergio Reguilon, the Spanish left back signed to replace Alba, sprained his knee in the preseason opener and is out indefinitely.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sprain
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Rookie forward Adou Thiero (right MCL sprain) remains out.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 7 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, Magic forward Franz Wagner (left high ankle sprain injury management) will miss his ninth consecutive contest Saturday.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026
Verb
Goggia had a few weeks to recover after spraining her left knee, partially tearing her ACL and suffering a minor fracture of the fibula bone in her leg, plus some tendon damage.
—Andrew Dampf, Chicago Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026
Sergio Reguilon, the Spanish left back signed to replace Alba, sprained his knee in the preseason opener and is out indefinitely.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sprain
Cite this Entry
“Sprain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sprain. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sprain
1 of 2 noun1
: a sudden or severe twisting of a joint with stretching or tearing of ligaments
2
: a condition that results from a sprain and is usually marked by pain and swelling
sprain
2 of 2 verb
: to injure by a sudden or severe twist
Medical Definition
sprain
1 of 2 noun
: a sudden or violent twist or wrench of a joint causing the stretching or tearing of ligaments and often rupture of blood vessels with hemorrhage into the tissues
also
: the condition resulting from a sprain that is usually marked by swelling, inflammation, hemorrhage, and discoloration compare strain entry 3 sense b
sprain
2 of 2 transitive verb
: to weaken (a joint or ligament) by sudden and violent twisting or wrenching : stretch (ligaments) injuriously without dislocation of the joint
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
