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

The loss came as such clashes are increasing, with climate change and urban sprawl bringing people closer to bears, mountain lions and other animals. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026

Wrapped in skyscrapers and twin flyovers, you’re given wide-screen views of Sydney’s urban sprawl and are very much part of the thrum of the city. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Sep. 2026

Brown and other firefighters said delayed, disorganized fire responses have become common around the West as staffing thinned since last year's cuts, and as climate change and urban sprawl fuel a changing wildfire landscape. — Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026

There’s an uncanniness to 1970s Harlem here; a magical-realist urban sprawl that’s both palpably gritty and like something from a fairy tale. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1934, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for urban sprawl

• aerosol
• alcohol
• arbitral
• basketball
• butanol
• cannonball
• carbinol
• cortisol
• ethanol
• fireball
• gasohol
• gossypol

Kids Definition

urban sprawl

noun

: the spreading of urban structures into areas surrounding a city