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 There, satellite imagery reviewed by CNN shows the Christophe de Margerie sidled up against a sprawling floating storage unit, in a formation typical of ship-to-ship cargo transfers. — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026 But dendrites’ sprawling architecture hints at a deeper purpose. — Ajdina Halilovic, Scientific American, 13 Aug. 2026 Evacuation zones continue to change as firefighters work across the sprawling incident. — Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026 Wareheim — whose surrealist, absurdist work across film and television as an actor, writer, director and producer reshaped contemporary comedy — lately has been holed up at all hours at this sprawling indoor-outdoor compound called Serpentine. — Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2026 Wrangling a sprawling cast and eye-popping visuals that look lush in either the black-and-white or color versions, the series was not only popular amongst the comic book crowd, but was nominated for a whopping 11 Emmy nominations. — Matt Minton, Variety, 12 Aug. 2026 The gorgeous gardens Beaverbrook is spread across a sprawling 470 acres, so there is plenty of space for wedding guests to go for a stroll or spend some time alone. — Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Aug. 2026 The rapper, whose real name is Jonathan Lyndale Kirk, recently put his sprawling estate in Troutman on the market for $6,899,999. — Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 12 Aug. 2026 After underperforming for much of this year, financial stocks are now running away as a group, with just about every corner of the sprawling industry offering something compelling for investors. — Sarah Min, CNBC, 12 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
  • And given that, and the high state and municipal taxes many households and businesses face, Fazio added, Connecticut should tighten retirement benefits again before extending them next summer.
    — Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 14 Aug. 2026
  • And Mendoza took another big hit on the final play of his third drive while extending out of the pocket.
    — Sam Warren, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of extending
Verb
  • Lamont has held office since 2019, and Elliott’s challenge marks the first time in five decades a sitting governor has faced a primary opponent in Connecticut.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Right now, about a quarter of the space in New York buildings designed to serve as medical labs is sitting vacant, according to the latest report from CBRE.
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of sitting
Verb
  • 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
  • Geopolitical ​uncertainty, tariffs (subscription required) and diverging monetary policy are pulling exchange rates in different directions.
    — Eric Huttman, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of diverging
Verb
  • Battered cars with numbers sprayed on their sides are whipping around the dirt track of the Lebanon Valley Speedway, loose fenders flopping like overgrown bangs in the swirling dust.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Perez chugged around the bases before belly-flopping into third base with his trademark smile.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 30 July 2026
Definition of flopping
Verb
  • Both companies say that weight-loss pills are expanding the market, rather than being bought only by people who'd already used the more expensive injectables.
    — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Aid workers say the outbreak continues to outpace response that's been expanding across the five provinces affected.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of expanding
Verb
  • In the world of traffic oddities, one car straddling a bike path median — like a gymnast poised on a balance beam — could be called a fluke.
    — Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026
  • Mythical creatures, too, soaked in the supernatural; half-men, half-animals who evaded classification—centaurs and satyrs, fauns and werewolves—straddling the boundary between man and beast.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 July 2026
Definition of straddling
Verb
  • 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
  • Observations of the Perseids go back more than 2,000 years, with meteors radiating from the constellation of Perseus.
    — Amen Galinato, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of radiating
Verb
  • 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
  • The Eras Tour performer is pictured squatting in her dreamy pink-and-white strapless gown by designer Markarian, offering a closer look at her teardrop earrings and classic low-bun updo.
    — Ashleigh Carter, InStyle, 17 July 2026
Definition of squatting

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sprawled
sprawling
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Cite this Entry

“Sprawling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sprawling. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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