sprawls
Stretches out loosely
Sprawls is the verb form of sprawl, meaning to spread out ungainly or occupy space loosely.
A person sprawls across a couch; a city sprawls into surrounding farmland.
She sprawls on the bed with a book.
The metropolis sprawls for miles in every direction.
Urban sprawl describes uncontrolled outward expansion of developed areas.
Increase in size
- outgrowthSomething developing from another
- spreadTo distribute widely
- proliferationRapid increase in quantity
- extensionAdded part or duration
stretch · expanse · encroachment · creep · overflow · spill · reach · tentacles
Large important city
- suburbsResidential areas outside cities
- conurbationMerged continuous urban area
- megacityUrban area exceeding ten million
- skylineUrban profile against atmosphere
highrise · infrastructure · commute · metropolitan · borough · district · downtown · urbanization
Reclining in idleness
- recliningLeaning backward at rest
- slouchingPoor postural alignment
- lazingResting without aim
- splayedSpread awkwardly apart
spread-eagle · flopped · languid · limbs · couch · floor · ungainly · relaxed
Untidy collection of items
- disarrayLack of order
- messDisorderly, troublesome condition
- tangleTwisted mass of strands
- jumbleConfused disorderly collection
disorganization · shambles · hodgepodge · scatter · chaos · untidiness · haphazard · rambling
growth
Increase in size
- outgrowthSomething developing from another
- spreadTo distribute widely
- proliferationRapid increase in quantity
extension · stretch · expanse · encroachment · creep · overflow · spill · reach · tentacles · branching
metropolis
Large important city
- suburbsResidential areas outside cities
- conurbationMerged continuous urban area
- megacityUrban area exceeding ten million
skyline · highrise · infrastructure · commute · metropolitan · borough · district · downtown · urbanization · gentrification
lounging
Reclining in idleness
splayed · spread-eagle · flopped · languid · limbs · couch · floor · ungainly · relaxed · draped
clutter
Untidy collection of items
jumble · disorganization · shambles · hodgepodge · scatter · chaos · untidiness · haphazard · rambling · formlessness
sprawlscompresses
Squeezes into less space
contracts · shrinks · compacts · condenses · constricts
sprawlsconcentrates
Directs sustained attention
consolidates · centralizes · densifies · contains · confines
- urban sprawlUncontrolled peripheral development
- suburban sprawlUnplanned outward residential development
- sprawling suburbs