sprawl
Americanverb (used without object)
-
sprawls,
present (3rd person singular)
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sprawled,
past participle, past
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sprawling
present participle
-
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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sprawls,
present (3rd person singular)
-
sprawled,
past participle, past
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sprawling
present participle
-
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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sprawls
plural
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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
-
the act or an instance of sprawling
-
a sprawling posture or arrangement of items
-
-
the urban area formed by the expansion of a town or city into surrounding countryside
the urban sprawl
-
the process by which this has happened
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Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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sprawlsimple
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sprawlssimple
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have sprawledperfect
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has sprawledperfect
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am sprawlingprogressive
-
are sprawlingprogressive
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is sprawlingprogressive
-
have been sprawlingperfect progressive
-
has been sprawlingperfect progressive
Past
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sprawledsimple
-
had sprawledperfect
-
was sprawlingprogressive
-
were sprawlingprogressive
-
had been sprawlingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of sprawl
before 1000; Middle English spraulen to move awkwardly, Old English spreawlian; cognate with Frisian (N dial.) spraweli
Explanation
When you sprawl, you spread out in an ungainly way, like when you're lying down comfortably on the sofa with your legs and arms flung out around you. As a noun, the most common use of this word nowadays is in the phrase "urban sprawl" (or "suburban sprawl"), which describes municipal development — things like new neighborhoods, shopping malls, and office complexes — that spreads out of control, according to no approved plan, and usually with pretty ugly results.
Vocabulary lists containing sprawl
The Diary of Anne Frank
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List 3
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The Cay
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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.
See Examples For:
Now about half a million acres are sitting dormant, and other abandoned groves have been absorbed for cattle grazing or Florida’s lucrative development sprawl.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
At the same time, it has tried to encourage home building in urban centers; projects that would add to suburban sprawl require stricter environmental reviews.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026
Activists across the U.S. are coalescing around concerns about AI-related job losses, data-center sprawl and AI-fueled cyberattacks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
He used it here to give balance and focus to the home’s 110-foot-long facade, and to control its horizontal sprawl.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
When they were not working, they could walk—during daylight hours—anywhere inside the sprawl of Camp 14.
From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden
Disability and sickness payments in the U.K. show how the system sprawls.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
The luxe dwelling, which was built in 1950, is situated on a 1.5-acre lot mere feet from the beach and sprawls across 2,278 square feet.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
But when you walk up on his roof, a scenic view of his home city sprawls beneath Todd.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026
It sprawls across 10,010 square feet and is the epitome of luxury thanks to its lush greenery, which makes it the perfect place for a star to seek privacy.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 23, 2026
Minchacaman was a powerful figure who could have taken In this rare aerial photograph—taken in 1931, before modern looting blasted the site—the ruined Chimor capital of Chan Chan sprawls across the northern Peruvian coast.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
Blue skies extended to the horizon, and a small colony of tents, camper vans and motorhomes sprawled out across the lush alfalfa fields.
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
They spent hours sprawled on the deck, broiling under the daytime sun, then chilled at night, the fishermen said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 15, 2026
Behind the Peace River plant, sprawled out across a massive lawn, and behind a chain-link fence, were the ruins of a processing infrastructure.
From Slate ● Apr. 20, 2026
Mendoza was unshakable on Monday night, particularly a first-quarter helmet-to-helmet hit that left him sprawled on his stomach with a split lip.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 20, 2026
My grandmother was sprawled on the floor, her legs crumpled beneath her.
From Full of Beans by Jennifer L. Holm
The sprawling home features two kitchens, a sun-drenched atrium, a library, two private offices, and a large fitness room—reflecting the athlete’s life both inside and outside the boxing ring.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2026
About half of its data-center chip revenue in recent years has come from so-called hyperscalers—big tech companies like Amazon.com and Microsoft that operate sprawling computing operations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
Haines entered parliament as an independent lawmaker in 2019, representing the sprawling seat of Indi.
From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2026
Another round of job cuts comes as CEO Josh D’Amaro aims to consolidate the company’s sprawling operations around a “One Disney” theme.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026
She’d gone sprawling face-first into the dirty, slushy snow.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
