1
: a sudden or violent twist or wrench of a joint with stretching or tearing of ligaments
2
: a sprained condition
sprained; spraining; sprains
: to injure by a sudden or severe twist
Examples of sprain in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2024
Strains are caused by overuse of or injuries to the muscles or tendons, while sprains affect the ligaments.
—Laura Dorwart, Verywell Health, 13 Aug. 2024
Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 15 July 2024
The ankle Santander sprained the previous April had flamed up in the offseason.
—Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 10 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for sprain 
Noun
Stafford endured broken bones, sprains, elbow issues, concussions, spinal contusions and other injuries throughout his 15-year career.
—Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2024
Strains are caused by overuse of or injuries to the muscles or tendons, while sprains affect the ligaments.
—Laura Dorwart, Verywell Health, 13 Aug. 2024
Verb
Former UConn star Stephon Castle, who had gotten off to an impressive start with the San Antonio Spurs, was shut down for the remainder of NBA Summer League in Las Vegas after spraining his right wrist, according to Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 15 July 2024
The ankle Santander sprained the previous April had flamed up in the offseason.
—Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 10 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for sprain
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sprain.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near sprain
Cite this Entry
“Sprain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sprain. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sprain
1 of 2 noun1
: a sudden or severe twisting of a joint with stretching or tearing of ligaments
2
: a condition that results from a sprain and is usually marked by pain and swelling
sprain
2 of 2 verb
: to injure by a sudden or severe twist
Medical Definition
sprain
1 of 2 noun
: a sudden or violent twist or wrench of a joint causing the stretching or tearing of ligaments and often rupture of blood vessels with hemorrhage into the tissues
also
: the condition resulting from a sprain that is usually marked by swelling, inflammation, hemorrhage, and discoloration compare strain entry 3 sense b
sprain
2 of 2 transitive verb
: to weaken (a joint or ligament) by sudden and violent twisting or wrenching : stretch (ligaments) injuriously without dislocation of the joint
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share