urban sprawl
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of urban sprawl
First recorded in 1955–60
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They have been a part of the city landscape since the 1930s, when urban sprawl began to encroach on their rural territory.
From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026
Oregon adopted a unique set of land use laws in the late 1960s and 1970s that helped curb urban sprawl.
From Salon • Aug. 8, 2025
Councils will also be ordered to review green belt boundaries - which were created to prevent urban sprawl - by identifying lower-quality "grey belt" land that can be built on.
From BBC • Mar. 26, 2025
This walk doesn’t fall into the category of bucolic country stroll, but it offers an unusual opportunity to get outside in the middle of the urban sprawl.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 6, 2024
"At least you can't see Dhaka's urban sprawl," he says.
From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
