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
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Recent Examples of sprawl
All the living spaces open to a sprawling deck running the entire length of the house.
—
Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 15 May 2026
The restaurant, which seats 75 guests, sprawls across 11,500 square feet.
—Connie Ogle
may 15, Miami Herald, 15 May 2026
The sprawling 4180-square-foot space seats up to 128, with both indoor and outdoor options.
—Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 15 May 2026
Gautam Adani, chair of India's Adani Group, oversees a sprawling business empire spanning ports, power and infrastructure.
—Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for sprawl
Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 15 May 2026
The restaurant, which seats 75 guests, sprawls across 11,500 square feet.
—Connie Ogle
may 15, Miami Herald, 15 May 2026
The sprawling 4180-square-foot space seats up to 128, with both indoor and outdoor options.
—Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 15 May 2026
Gautam Adani, chair of India's Adani Group, oversees a sprawling business empire spanning ports, power and infrastructure.
—Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for sprawl
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sprawl
Verb
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Eveningside’s smaller arms holding on to the chains while Morningside’s longer arms propelled them, her fists and excess joints braced against the ground; their span lengthening, extending and retracting in the girls’ to and fro.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
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The Lambert, North Oconee and Lake Oconee Academy girls continued to extend their dominance in high school golf, while two other schools earned their first titles as the GHSA championships concluded Tuesday throughout the state.—
Stan Awtrey,
AJC.com,
20 May 2026
Verb
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Messaging shifts, incentives diverge and priorities change.—
Gregory Lipich,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
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That international positioning carries strategic implications that diverge sharply from typical Indian release patterns.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
17 May 2026
Verb
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From his elevated seat on the witness stand, Fuhrman sat silent as Simpson’s defense team peppered him with question after question.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 May 2026
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On the reverse side were the locations of the seventy-two teams that make up the first three divisions of the National League System, which sits below the English Football League.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Officials allege the group sold the oil under false pretenses and used the profits to sustain and expand the original food fraud scheme.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
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The potential downside of a long layoff has been a hot topic in baseball ever since MLB expanded its playoff field in 2022, awarding first-round byes to the top-two seeds in each league.—
Lev Akabas,
Sportico.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
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That flopped, as have all subsequent attempts to protect nature permanently and on a large scale through the use of markets.—
John Reid,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
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Rick Pitino, Billy Donovan, Brad Stevens, Fred Hoiberg, John Calipari, Tim Floyd, Lon Kruger, Mike Montgomery, Leonard Hamilton all left college to try the NBA, and most flopped.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 May 2026
Verb
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His palpable belief in fatherhood as a life’s work radiates off the screen.—
Vikram Murthi,
IndieWire,
15 May 2026
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Others radiate energy, clients, and momentum.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
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The home extends onto an expansive loggia with plenty of space for lounging and dining beside the heated infinity pool.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
15 May 2026
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Historically, Rostam solo albums are full of pensive and personal moments—reflections on life while taking long walks, weighing conflicted emotions while lounging in bed—and this one is no exception.—
Molly Mary O’Brien,
Pitchfork,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Internationally, however, the film’s distribution prospects rest largely on Cotillard, also burdened with the heaviest dramatic lifting to do as the stricken, unworldly protagonist who bridges the film’s two improbably connected realms.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
18 May 2026
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The good news is the Knicks making quick work of the Sixers granted a lot of time for Anunoby and the Knicks to rest.—
Tony Jones,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sprawl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sprawl. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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