urban sprawl

noun

: the spreading of urban developments (such as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a city

Examples of urban sprawl in a Sentence

efforts to stop urban sprawl
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
In San Diego on Thursday, agents focused on an area of deceptively treacherous mountain trails with expansive views of Tijuana, Mexico, its urban sprawl and industrial warehouses in San Diego. Eugene Garcia, Chicago Tribune, 25 Jan. 2025 Many celebrities live in the area, mixing with longtime-resident hippies and people who have fled the urban sprawl of downtown Los Angeles. Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 13 Jan. 2025 Carved into the edge of Pittsburgh’s urban sprawl—just fifteen minutes from downtown—this free outdoor bouldering gym was designed with an ambitious vision: to bring outdoor adventure to all. Ryleigh Norgrove, Outside Online, 8 Dec. 2024 That’s the way much of California was built, long before politicians like state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, successfully campaigned to make urban sprawl political anathema. Thomas Elias, The Mercury News, 25 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for urban sprawl 

Word History

First Known Use

1934, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of urban sprawl was in 1934

Dictionary Entries Near urban sprawl

Cite this Entry

“Urban sprawl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/urban%20sprawl. Accessed 3 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

urban sprawl

noun
: the spreading of urban structures into areas surrounding a city

More from Merriam-Webster on urban sprawl

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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