sprawl
Americanverb (used without object)
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to be stretched or spread out in an unnatural or ungraceful manner.
The puppy's legs sprawled in all directions.
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to sit or lie in a relaxed position with the limbs spread out carelessly or ungracefully.
He sprawled across the bed.
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to spread out, extend, or be distributed in a straggling or irregular manner, as vines, buildings, handwriting, etc.
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to crawl awkwardly with the aid of all the limbs; scramble.
verb (used with object)
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to stretch out (the limbs) as in sprawling.
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to spread out or distribute in a straggling manner.
noun
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the act or an instance of sprawling; a sprawling posture.
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a straggling array of something.
verb
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(intr) to sit or lie in an ungainly manner with one's limbs spread out
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to fall down or knock down with the limbs spread out in an ungainly way
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to spread out or cause to spread out in a straggling fashion
his handwriting sprawled all over the paper
noun
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the act or an instance of sprawling
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a sprawling posture or arrangement of items
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the urban area formed by the expansion of a town or city into surrounding countryside
the urban sprawl
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the process by which this has happened
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Other Word Forms
- sprawler noun
- sprawlingly adverb
- sprawly adjective
Etymology
Origin of sprawl
before 1000; Middle English spraulen to move awkwardly, Old English spreawlian; cognate with Frisian (N dial.) spraweli
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
L.A., though, has relatively moderate density that sprawls somewhat consistently across hundreds of miles.
From Los Angeles Times
He’s the human version of a big St. Bernard sprawled out in a sunbeam.
From Literature
That first morning, with coffee in hand, I tiptoed into the lounge, sank into an armchair and watched the desert sprawl while wispy clouds clung to the horizon under a brightening sky.
From Los Angeles Times
The main house sprawls over 20,000 square feet and comes complete with five bedrooms, six full baths, two half-baths, a playroom, a spa and hair salon, a bowling alley, and a wine cellar.
From MarketWatch
The residence—which is located in the exclusive enclave of Watch Hill in Westerly and is known locally as “Holiday House”—currently sprawls across 11,000 square feet and features seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms.
From MarketWatch
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
