sprawl
Americanverb (used without object)
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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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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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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
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the act or an instance of sprawling
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a sprawling posture or arrangement of items
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the urban area formed by the expansion of a town or city into surrounding countryside
the urban sprawl
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the process by which this has happened
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Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has sprawledperfect 3rd person singular
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have sprawledperfect
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has been sprawlingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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am sprawlingprogressive 1st person singular
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are sprawlingprogressive
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is sprawlingprogressive 3rd person singular
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sprawlssingular 3rd person
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sprawlingparticiple
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have been sprawlingperfect progressive
Past
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had sprawledperfect
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was sprawlingprogressive singular
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sprawledparticiple
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sprawledsimple
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had been sprawlingperfect progressive
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were sprawlingprogressive plural
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.
Rules required minimum lot sizes of 5,750 square feet for single-family homes, and strict single-family zoning ordinances were criticized for creating sprawl.
From Barron's • May 31, 2026
“There will be agent sprawl in the short-term,” Narayan said, “and we’re actually OK with that because of the opportunity that AI presents.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
The city sprawl quickly gave way to stone-walled fields full of dazzling yellow rape and spring-green grass dotted with sheep and frolicking lambs.
From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026
De Zylva argues this misunderstands the point: "The purpose of the green belt isn't to be green per se, it is to be a buffer to prevent sprawl."
From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026
She swung a shimmering left hand, catching the haint across the face, and watched the foul thing sprawl backward.
From "Shadowshaper" by Daniel José Older
Definitions 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.
