ENGLISH
REFERENCE

sprang

v.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈspɹæŋ// UK //spɹˈæŋ// sprang

v. the past tense of 'spring'. It means to move suddenly and quickly upward or forward, like a jumping cat.

v. the past tense of 'spring'; describes a sudden, forceful motion or a rapid transition from a state of rest to one of activity.


SIMPLE

The cat sprang onto the table to reach the food.

CONTEXTUAL

As soon as the alarm sounded, the soldiers sprang into action and headed for the perimeter.

COMPLEX

The trap sprang shut the moment the weight was applied, capturing the specimen without causing any visible harm to its delicate wings.

Synonyms
Usage

The past tense of the irregular verb 'spring'. It is intransitive when describing a jump, but can be transitive when describing a sudden release of a mechanism.

Pitfall

The cat sprung onto the table.The cat sprang onto the table.Learners often confuse the past tense 'sprang' with the past participle 'sprung'.

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