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
The itinerary for the month includes programming on regulation, interoperability and artificial intelligence, interspersed with hackathons and wellness and recreational events designed to build community in a way that a typical conference or hackathon cannot.
—
Aaron Stanley, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
This was no average Shakespeare adaptation, however—its narrative was difficult to follow, and the Shakespearian English was interspersed with French-language rap and wolf-like howling.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 4 Mar. 2025
The fiberglass-composite Rover 02 looks even more rugged than the original thanks largely to an earthier paint scheme that loses the neon green slashes and intersperses more dark neutrals.
—New Atlas, 26 Feb. 2025
Another version was soft and supple — the result of the skin being bonded over foam — with hardware details interspersed throughout.
—Layla Ilchi, WWD, 7 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intersperse
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Aaron Stanley, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
This was no average Shakespeare adaptation, however—its narrative was difficult to follow, and the Shakespearian English was interspersed with French-language rap and wolf-like howling.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 4 Mar. 2025
The fiberglass-composite Rover 02 looks even more rugged than the original thanks largely to an earthier paint scheme that loses the neon green slashes and intersperses more dark neutrals.
—New Atlas, 26 Feb. 2025
Another version was soft and supple — the result of the skin being bonded over foam — with hardware details interspersed throughout.
—Layla Ilchi, WWD, 7 Feb. 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 21 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
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