Sprang is the past tense of the verb spring, which means to jump or move suddenly and energetically. When a cat springs from the floor onto a countertop, it leaps with quick, powerful energy. When you say a rabbit sprang into the bushes, you're describing how it jumped away in a single burst of motion.

The word captures that sense of sudden release, like a coiled spring letting go. A student might have sprang from their seat when the dismissal bell rang. A trap door might have sprang open. Ideas can spring to mind too: when you suddenly think of the perfect answer during a test, that solution sprang into your thoughts.

You'll also see sprang used when something appears or develops quickly. Wildflowers sprang up after spring rains. A new friendship might have sprung from a chance meeting on the playground.

Note that sprang is the simple past tense, and sprung is the past participle, used with “have” or “has,” as in “has sprung.”