Sprawl means to stretch out or spread in an awkward, relaxed, or uncontrolled way. After a long soccer practice, you might sprawl across the couch with your arms and legs flopping in all directions, too tired to sit up properly. A big dog might sprawl in the middle of the hallway, taking up so much space that everyone has to step over it.

Things can sprawl too: people, animals, and objects. A messy pile of books and papers can sprawl across a desk. When cities grow outward in all directions without much planning, spreading houses, roads, and shopping centers across the countryside, we call it urban sprawl. This kind of sprawling happens when a city expands rapidly, consuming farmland and open space.

The word suggests something loose, uncontrolled, and taking up more room than it probably should. When you sprawl, you spread out without worrying about being tidy or compact. A person might sprawl in a comfortable chair while reading, or children might sprawl on the floor while playing a board game, their bodies relaxed and limbs extended in every direction.