urban sprawl

noun

Definition of urban sprawlnext
as in city

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of urban sprawl The brighter, almost sitcom-adjacent universe that Jane navigates isn’t the hostile urban sprawl of Araki’s earlier work; Jane plays far too much Zoo Tycoon for that. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 17 Apr. 2026 Several flowering trees grow amid Indianapolis's urban sprawl, but the Yoshino cherries inside White River State Park attract visitors every spring to soak up the floral extravaganza. — Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 25 Mar. 2026 Commutes had lengthened due to urban sprawl and more traffic congestion. — Rafaela Jinich, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2026 Fields soon replaced the graffiti and urban sprawl, stretching in rectangles of straw-gold and damp green. — Vic O'Sullivan, Travel + Leisure, 4 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for urban sprawl
Recent Examples of Synonyms for urban sprawl
  1. city
  2. town
  3. inner city
  4. municipality
  5. asphalt jungle
  6. metropolis
  7. garden city
  8. downtown
Noun
  • The story follows Ana, a young Black French woman who, following the death of her grandmother, travels to her matriarch’s birth city of Belo Horizonte.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The fair will bring together galleries from 63 cities in 36 countries, including 36 galleries (around 43 percent) with locations in the SWANA region.
    — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of city
Noun
  • At least 165 people have been killed, and hundreds more are missing after catastrophic floods swept through towns and valleys along the border between Nepal and China's Tibet region.
    — Jennifer Jett, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Last awards season, the gossip around town, salacious and disturbing in equal measure, was that hotel suites all over Hollywood were populated by tailors taking in gowns coming straight off the runway.
    — Marti Noxon, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of town
Noun
  • Initially covering the inner city, it was expanded in August 2023 to cover the capital’s outer boroughs and suburbs.
    — Jack Guy, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Most Black people in the inner city shop in variety, drug and discount stores.
    — Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 7 July 2026
Definition of inner city
Noun
  • Naalakkersuisut and Greenland's municipalities are developing zoning rules under the Tourism Act that would establish which areas are open to cruise tourism and which would face restrictions, according to the release.
    — Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Nearly 80% of the people in this rural municipality live in poverty.
    — Alfredo Sosa, Christian Science Monitor, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of municipality
Noun
  • But there’s nothing stopping the surfer from hanging out in the parking lot up the cliff, an asphalt jungle with its own territorial, dog-eat-dog ecosystem.
    — Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 May 2024
  • But Honk does understand concrete’s importance in the asphalt jungle.
    — Jim Radcliffe, Orange County Register, 3 May 2024
Definition of asphalt jungle
Noun
  • Johannesburg’s Cultural Evolution Johannesburg (also known as Joburg or Jozi) is South Africa’s largest metropolis and the epicenter of its complex cultural evolution.
    — Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Its capital, Panama City, is a thriving metropolis largely powered by industries stemming from the Panama Canal, like banking and maritime services.
    — DeMarco Williams, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of metropolis
Noun
  • Although Marrakech is known as The Red City, it is also known as a garden city, and the resort is an homage to that.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 July 2026
  • Opatija is lush, a garden city watered by springs flowing from Mount Učka.
    — Kevin West, Travel + Leisure, 8 May 2026
Definition of garden city
Noun
  • Jacksonville, a city of about 1 million, is particularly treacherous for children living in areas north and west of downtown.
    — Yona Gavino, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Khan was detained at California City Detention Center after a mandatory check-in in downtown Los Angeles.
    — Sofia Williams, Sacbee.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of downtown

Browse Nearby Words

urban legend
urban sprawl
urban sprawls
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Urban sprawl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/urban%20sprawl. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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