sprawl

[US]/sprɔːl/
[UK]/sprɔːl/
Frequency: Very High

Translation

vi. to sit or lie with limbs stretched out
n. an area of a city where buildings are spread out in a disorganized way

Phrases & Collocations

urban sprawl

suburban sprawl

sprawl development

sprawl city

Example Sentences

a sprawl of buildings.

sprawling on the sofa

she lay sprawled on the bed.

a city that sprawls out into the countryside

suburbs that sprawl out into the countryside

sat sprawled in the big armchair; the sprawling suburbs; a big sprawly city.

I found a refreshing absence of industrial sprawl.

She sprawled untidily in an armchair.

They saw the corpse sprawled on the steps.

The village sprawled across the valley.

He came home and just sprawled out on the sofa.

out beyond the sprawling suburbs

they sprawled under a shady carob tree.

untidy tenements sprawling toward the river.

I spent the evening sprawled on the sofa, watching TV.

She lay sprawled across the bed.

sprawled figures basking in the afternoon sun.

the town sprawled along several miles of cliff top.

Real-world Examples

Municipal services are failing, too—not least because the city now sprawls over 139 square miles.

Source: The Economist - Comprehensive

The sprawling family today is hardly monolithic.

Source: New York Times

Do you think you would call your city sprawling?

Source: IELTS Speaking Preparation Guide

The signal you're looking for is really sprawled and stretched out, right?

Source: Scientific 60 Seconds - Scientific American August 2023 Compilation

One devised a massive, underwater globe, constructed around a sprawling city center.

Source: Koranos Animation Science Popularization

You have these unbelievable new cities in China which you might call tower sprawl.

Source: TED Talks (Audio Version) April 2014 Collection

Sprawl and loss of focus are another risk.

Source: The Economist (Summary)

This sprawling metropolis offers a seemingly unlimited choice of shopping, entertainment culture and dining.

Source: Travel around the world

We rail against urban sprawl, and rightly so.

Source: TED Talks (Video Version) Bilingual Selection

Agricultural sprawl is a far greater ecological threat.

Source: TED Talks (Video Version) Bilingual Selection

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