sprout
verb (used without object)
to begin to grow; shoot forth, as a plant from a seed.
have been sprouting
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present perfect progressiveof sprout.present perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that began in the past, has continued continuously, and is still in progress.
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.
This struggle is exactly why so many social clubs have been sprouting up in L.A. over the last few years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 23, 2026
AI data centers have been sprouting around the country so rapidly that they have trouble quickly gaining access to reliable power.
From Barron's ● Jan. 7, 2026
Olympic athletes will soon ascend the pixels of our TV screens and climbing gyms have been sprouting up in the Seattle area faster than Himalayan blackberry bushes.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 2, 2021
He examines the gray matted clumps that should have been sprouting rich green native grasses by now and worries about his future.
From BusinessWeek ● Jul. 3, 2013
The advocacy centers have been sprouting up in the past decade or so.
From New York Times ● Aug. 9, 2012
