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
If finding a soulmate in the urban sprawl of Los Angeles is a long and arduous journey, one studded with minefields erupting in confusion, anxiety and repeated dismay, then let the body lead the way.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 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.
From BBC ● Dec. 12, 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.
