sprawl
/sprɔl/
verb
- To sit, lie, or fall with the arms and legs spread out in a relaxed or careless way.
- He sprawled in his chair, too tired to move.
- The cat sprawled across the entire sofa, taking up all the space.
- After the long hike, she sprawled on the grass to rest.
- To spread out over a large area in an untidy or irregular way.
- The city's suburbs began to sprawl into the countryside.
- The town sprawls along the coast for miles.
- Ivy sprawled across the old stone wall of the garden.
noun
- A large, spread-out area of buildings or development, especially in an uncontrolled or messy way.
- Urban sprawl has consumed much of the farmland around the city.
- The sprawl of shopping malls and parking lots made the area feel chaotic.
- Residents are worried about the sprawl of new housing developments.
- A relaxed or careless position with the arms and legs spread out.
- She fell into a sprawl on the bed after a long day.
- He lay in a comfortable sprawl on the beach towel.
- The dog was in a lazy sprawl on the cool kitchen floor.