sprawl

UK: /ˈsprɔːl/ US: /sprɔl/ ,(sprôl)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

sprawl /sprɔl/   v. 

1. to stretch or spread out (the legs) such as when sitting or lying: [no object]
   She sprawled on the couch.
   [~ + object]
   She sprawled her leg over his knee and trapped him.
2. to be spread out or distributed irregularly or awkwardly:
   [no object] The city sprawls for a few more miles then stops abruptly.

n. [uncountable]

3. an act or instance of sprawling:
   The problem of urban sprawl gets worse because of the poor transportation systems.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

sprawl  (sprôl), v.i. 

1. to be stretched or spread out in an unnatural or ungraceful manner:
   The puppy's legs sprawled in all directions.
2. to sit or lie in a relaxed position with the limbs spread out carelessly or ungracefully:
   He sprawled across the bed.
3. to spread out, extend, or be distributed in a straggling or irregular manner, as vines, buildings, handwriting, etc.
4. to crawl awkwardly with the aid of all the limbs;
   scramble.

v.t. 

5. to stretch out (the limbs) as in sprawling.
6. to spread out or distribute in a straggling manner.

n. 

7. the act or an instance of sprawling;
   a sprawling posture.
8. a straggling array of something.

• bef. 1000; Middle English spraulen to move awkwardly, Old English spreawlian; cognate with Frisian (north, northern dialect, dialectal) spraweli

sprawl′er, n. 
sprawl′ing•ly, adv. 
Synonyms

• 3. straggle, branch.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

sprawl / sprɔːl/ verb

1. (intransitive) to sit or lie in an ungainly manner with one's limbs spread out
2. to fall down or knock down with the limbs spread out in an ungainly way
3. to spread out or cause to spread out in a straggling fashion: his handwriting sprawled all over the paper

noun

1. the act or an instance of sprawling
2. a sprawling posture or arrangement of items
3. the urban area formed by the expansion of a town or city into surrounding countryside: the urban sprawl
4. the process by which this has happened

Etymology: Old English spreawlian; related to Old English spryttan to sprout, spurt, Greek speirein to scatter

ˈsprawly adjective