sprawling

verb

present participle of sprawl
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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Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sprawling Water levels at the sprawling water-conservation area just north of Everglades National Park dropped to their lowest in early June. — Jenny Staletovich, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026 Accommodations range from a sprawling oceanfront resort to smaller beachfront hotels with direct access to the sand. — Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 27 Aug. 2026 Then head to sprawling Soweto (an acronym for South Western Township), once home of Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, as well as the base of the country’s civil rights movement. — Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Aug. 2026 Amazon originally conceived of the idea to assist with labeling reams of data on its sprawling webstore, The New York Times reported. — Annie Palmer, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026 The sprawling space has its own TV and sofa pair alongside a roomy bed, along with design touches like a twinkling mirror on the ceiling and a wavy carpet. — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 26 Aug. 2026 Then came Walter’s stunning decision to sell, one that came as federal investigators were, and are, scrutinizing parts of Walter’s sprawling business network. — Melody Gutierrez, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026 And next up on the trail is London, where, next week, the British Film Institute will launch its own large-scale survey of Maldoror’s sprawling career. — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026 Berezovska’s family home sits on its edge, next to sprawling fields. — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sprawling
  1. extending
  2. sitting
  3. diverging
  4. flopping
  5. expanding
  6. straddling
  7. radiating
  8. squatting
Verb
  • Finally, market concerns are extending from trading mechanics to core fundamentals.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The Bobcats continued to build momentum when Johnson took another pass and turned it into a 50-yard touchdown, extending Benbrook’s lead to 36-29.
    — Riley Ledesma, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of extending
Verb
  • People instinctively grab whoever happens to be sitting beside them.
    — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The Wiley painting, which was commissioned by the State Department in 2013, features four Dominican models, two men sitting and two women standing against a blue floral backdrop.
    — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of sitting
Verb
  • PennDOT will be implementing a diverging diamond interchange near Robinson Town Centre that doesn't use the existing bridge over the Parkway West.
    — John Shumway, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • There is a constant sense of movement, of visions and voices converging, diverging, allowing gaps and silences, but also a sense of subterranean connectedness.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of diverging
Verb
  • The video shows the peacock, referred to by some in the neighborhood as Sugar, seemingly flopping around then collapsing.
    — Megan Fahrney, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The papers were flopping off the edge of his desk, trembling in the breeze from the window; her hand reached out to stop them.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of flopping
Verb
  • Axel Springer is expanding in the Middle East, joining a growing number of Western publishers with an editorial presence in the region — and testing a key pillar of its editorial beliefs.
    — Max Tani, semafor.com, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Mamdani’s signature 2-K program is scheduled to launch this fall with 2,000 students in select school districts, with the goal of expanding citywide over four years.
    — Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of expanding
Verb
  • This town sits in the Central Idaho Rockies, straddling national forests in the Wood River Valley.
    — Daniel de Visé, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Back on ground level, The Patio is a more relaxed bar straddling the entrance of the restaurant.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of straddling
Verb
  • The map shows other towers close by, each radiating a string that is fastened to the map when other towers radio in readings.
    — Robert Sullivan, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The first breathtaking photos of totality for the total solar eclipse 2026 are pouring in, revealing incredible views of the sun's atmosphere radiating out from behind the moon's colossal silhouette.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of radiating
Verb
  • With the bulk of his work at practice done for the day, Achord retreats to the back of the end zone with Koonz, squatting and scribbling something on paper.
    — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • With their three dogs in view, Prince Harry could be seen squatting and bracing for a big hug from Lili, who was running into his arms; while Meghan reached out for Archie who was running towards her.
    — Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 23 July 2026
Definition of squatting

Browse Nearby Words

sprawled
sprawling
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Cite this Entry

“Sprawling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sprawling. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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