1
as in extending
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 sitting
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 sprawling
The lush gardens are spread across about a dozen acres and feature a mix of styles, including a traditional Valencian space with Moorish influences, sprawling greenhouses, and pergolas covered in swaths of roses.
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Liz Provencher, Travel + Leisure, 9 Jan. 2026
Cowan scored on a 2-on-1 rush off a pass from John Tavares, ending a wide-open extra period as the teams went up and down the ice and both goalies made sprawling saves to keep the game going.
—CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
The extensive waterworks also made way for sprawling sugarcane fields in the Everglades Agricultural Area, where farmers tended their crops with nutrient-rich fertilizers.
—Amy Green, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
For years, Maryland’s sprawling nonprofit sector has operated behind a veil of secrecy that state leaders praise publicly but struggle to explain under scrutiny.
—Gary Collins, Baltimore Sun, 8 Jan. 2026
On an eminence at the heart of the sprawling property, the restaurant overlooks a painter’s delight of fields, woods, and distant hills, a mosaic of brown and gold on this cloudy late-fall day.
—Claire Messud, Vogue, 8 Jan. 2026
Unfortunately, Haddon Hall, the sprawling Victorian mansion in nearby Beckenham that Bowie rented from 1969-73 and wrote some of his most legendary work, was demolished in the 1980s.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 8 Jan. 2026
The neighborhood/area Situated in Hipódromo Condesa, the Red Tree House is about as centrally located as possible in this sprawling megalopolis.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Jan. 2026
The surge in demand is already driving up energy prices and fueling political backlash as sprawling data centers turn into election-season flashpoints in the communities where they are being constructed.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sprawling
Verb
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Motorola devices will follow, with over-the-air updates extending support over time.—
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Keeping your right knee slightly bent, perform the deadlift by bending at the hip, extending your left leg behind you for balance.—
Verb
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On that date, a bus driver called police to complain that two Black girls were sitting near two White girls in violation of segregation laws, according to the Associated Press.—
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Now most of these properties are sitting vacant.—
Verb
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As time passed, Webster found his views diverging from some of his neighbors’ in the Hudson Valley.—
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Emo was diverging into the pop world in every way imaginable.—
Verb
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And the brands that are flopping are the ones that are too safe.—
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If the main trunk of the jade has gotten wildly overgrown and is flopping over under its own weight, lop it off.—
Verb
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Over the years, Harold’s Chicken grew far beyond its original location, expanding into a regional brand with restaurants across eight states.—
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Mitsubishi is looking to capitalize on rising power needs from data centers, manufacturing, as well as LNG exports, by expanding in the the world's largest gas market, citing domestic consumption, production, exports, and further demand growth.—
Verb
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Askar took control of the 467,000-square-foot tower straddling the Frog Hollow and Parkville neighborhoods in early 2020.—
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March Adolescence went from low-key British original on Netflix to globe-straddling giant in March 2025.—
Verb
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Some designs add a pattern of reflective material to the outer shell to keep heat from radiating out into the cold air.—
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Doherty is radiating positive energy.—
Verb
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The measure also allows judges to issue summary judgments in clear squatting cases and tightens notice requirements, directing landlords to deliver eviction notices in ways likely to ensure occupants actually receive them, such as direct delivery or posting notices in visible places.—
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When the home’s white former tenants vacate, Jimmie moves out of his friend’s apartment in a low-income neighborhood that’s built on toxic waste and begins squatting.—
Cite this Entry
“Sprawling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sprawling. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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