intersperse
verb
in·ter·sperse
ˌin-tər-ˈspərs 
interspersed; interspersing
1
: to insert at intervals among other things
interspersing drawings throughout the text
2
: to place something at intervals in or among
intersperse a book with pictures
Did you know?
Intersperse comes from Latin interspersus, a combination of the prefix inter- ("between or among") and sparsus, the past participle of spargere, meaning "to scatter." Sparsus is also the source of sparse.
Examples of intersperse in a Sentence
You should intersperse these pictures evenly throughout the book.
Some seagulls were interspersed among the ducks.
Recent Examples on the Web
Recently, his feed has been interspersed with sponsored brand obligations.
—
Eric Jackson, Sportico.com, 1 Mar. 2025
The 69-year-old Merz—a man who has interspersed politics with boardroom life as Chairman of the German arm of Blackrock, the investment house—is keen not to waste time.
—John Kampfner, TIME, 24 Feb. 2025
And the interactions, or lack thereof, between the man and woman are interspersed with dog and nature scenes and interludes with voice-overs that seem to transport the viewer to the past or different locations.
—Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Feb. 2025
Tropical plants and sculptures are interspersed throughout the property, which runs along Biscayne Bay.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 16 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intersperse
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Eric Jackson, Sportico.com, 1 Mar. 2025
The 69-year-old Merz—a man who has interspersed politics with boardroom life as Chairman of the German arm of Blackrock, the investment house—is keen not to waste time.
—John Kampfner, TIME, 24 Feb. 2025
And the interactions, or lack thereof, between the man and woman are interspersed with dog and nature scenes and interludes with voice-overs that seem to transport the viewer to the past or different locations.
—Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Feb. 2025
Tropical plants and sculptures are interspersed throughout the property, which runs along Biscayne Bay.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 16 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intersperse
Cite this Entry
“Intersperse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intersperse. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
intersperse
verb
in·ter·sperse
ˌint-ər-ˈspərs
interspersed; interspersing
1
: to set here and there among other things
intersperse pictures in a book
2
: to vary with things inserted here and there
interspersed the photo album with her poetry
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share