Thesaurus results for URBANIZE

urbanize

verb

ˈər-bə-ˌnīz

as in to civilize

to accustom to the ways of the city every September the city of Boston urbanizes a new crop of college students from small towns across the country

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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Recent Examples of urbanize During the party’s push to urbanize China in the 2000s, many farmers had to surrender even these meager rights in exchange for an apartment and a welfare check. —

Ian Johnson, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2025 As cities urbanize and increase in density, more buildings and underground utilities become spaces for rats, and more food becomes available for rodents to eat. —

Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 6 Feb. 2025 Many cities have pushed back, arguing that so many more homes will more rapidly urbanize their suburban communities. —

Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2024 When Margarita Lugo de Castillo first started selling food from an outdoor stall here in 1945, this area had just begun to urbanize. —

Jorge Valencia Mariano Fernandez, New York Times, 14 Nov. 2023 See All Example Sentences for urbanize

Recent Examples of Synonyms for urbanize

civilize

Verb

Biking in Copenhagen is civilized—collective pressure ensures hand signals and other forms of etiquette are strictly adhered to.

— Tamara Shopsin, Travel + Leisure, 16 Dec. 2025
These facts, in turn, were wielded as evidence for the need of a civilizing Christian influence.

— David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025