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 roots of the problem–and solutions Continued urban sprawl and population growth only increases the demand for freshwater.
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Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 8 May 2025
Today’s luxury buyers expect not just world-beating range and tech, however, but also an increasing number of customization options—so Cadillac recently invited me to join select media for a drive day and configuration session amid the urban sprawl and mountain canyons of Los Angeles.
—Michael Teo Van Runkle, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
As natural landscapes are converted to agriculture or taken over by urban sprawl, logging operations and oil and gas exploration, ecosystems become fragmented and the space that species need to survive and reproduce disappears.
—Karrigan Börk, The Conversation, 13 May 2025
The population density here averages 2,500 to 13,000 people per square mile — respectable, but nowhere near Japan’s urban sprawl.
—Angelette C. Aviles, Baltimore Sun, 19 Apr. 2025
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Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 8 May 2025
Today’s luxury buyers expect not just world-beating range and tech, however, but also an increasing number of customization options—so Cadillac recently invited me to join select media for a drive day and configuration session amid the urban sprawl and mountain canyons of Los Angeles.
—Michael Teo Van Runkle, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
As natural landscapes are converted to agriculture or taken over by urban sprawl, logging operations and oil and gas exploration, ecosystems become fragmented and the space that species need to survive and reproduce disappears.
—Karrigan Börk, The Conversation, 13 May 2025
The population density here averages 2,500 to 13,000 people per square mile — respectable, but nowhere near Japan’s urban sprawl.
—Angelette C. Aviles, Baltimore Sun, 19 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for urban sprawl
Cite this Entry
“Urban sprawl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/urban%20sprawl. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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