The phrase “what sprinklers might sprinkle” is used as a playful hint for water in many word puzzles and crossword-style clues.

Meaning of the phrase

  • Sprinklers (like lawn or garden sprinklers) are devices designed to distribute water over an area such as grass, plants, or soil.
  • Because of that, when the clue says “what sprinklers might sprinkle,” the straightforward answer is the thing they spray: water.

Why it shows up in puzzles

  • Crossword clues often describe a very ordinary action in slightly roundabout language to point to a simple word. Here, “sprinklers” are the hint and “might sprinkle” points to the substance being sprayed.
  • Similar clues play with the same pattern, such as what “hoses might spray” or what “showers might pour,” all leading back to water as the everyday answer.

Context around sprinklers

  • In everyday use, lawn and garden sprinklers are designed specifically to distribute water for irrigation, either in a fixed pattern or in rotating arcs, depending on the type of sprinkler head.
  • Fire sprinklers in buildings also release water (or, in some specialized systems, water with additives) to control or extinguish fires, but the underlying idea is still that they’re sprinkling water.

TL;DR: In the phrase “what sprinklers might sprinkle,” the expected answer is water.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.