sprawl

1 of 2

verb

ˈsprȯl 

sprawled; sprawling; sprawls

intransitive verb

1

: to lie or sit with arms and legs spread out

2

: to spread or develop irregularly or without restraint

bushes sprawling along the road

sprawling suburbs

a sprawling narrative

3

a

: to creep or clamber awkwardly

b

archaic : to lie thrashing or tossing about

transitive verb

: to cause to spread out carelessly or awkwardly

sprawled out her books on the table

sprawl

2 of 2

noun

1

: an irregularly spread or scattered group or mass

a sprawl of stores and restaurants

2

: urban sprawl

3

: the act, posture, or condition of sprawling

Examples of sprawl in a Sentence

Verb

The kids sprawled on the floor to watch TV.

She tripped and went sprawling into the table.

The city sprawls along the coastline.

The bushes were sprawling along the road.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Every room has southwest-facing, floor-to-ceiling windows that frame the views of the sprawling Snake River Valley below, and the iconic Tetons above, and the towering Snake River ranges beyond. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026

The outlet reported that Jamal pocketed hundreds of thousands of dollars from at least six Feeding Our Future associates convicted in connection to the sprawling fraud scheme. — Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 5 Oct. 2026

Noun

Yet the melodrama of the Trask men—and the misfortune of the women who come into their lives—has seldom been brought to the screen, most likely because of the challenges posed by the saga’s narrative sprawl. — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 1 Oct. 2026

And Cloud Sprawl One investment that often looks efficient on paper is AI and cloud sprawl. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English sprēawlian

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 3b

Noun

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Phrases Containing sprawl

• urban sprawl

Rhymes for sprawl

• ahl
• all
• aul
• bawl
• brawl
• call
• caul
• crawl
• dol
• doll
• drawl
• fall

Kids Definition

sprawl

verb

ˈsprȯl

1

: to lie or sit with arms and legs spread out

sprawled on the couch watching TV

2

: to spread out in an uneven or awkward way

a sprawling city

sprawl noun