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ghost town
noun
: a once-flourishing town wholly or nearly deserted usually as a result of the exhaustion of some natural resource
Examples of ghost town in a Sentence
After all the gold was mined, the place became a ghost town.
Recent Examples on the Web
Arizona is full of ghost towns, ghost stories — ghosts, ghosts, ghosts.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 21 Oct. 2024
The bottom line: Despite the closures, new and recently opened businesses show the area is far from turning into a ghost town.
—Esteban L. Hernandez, Axios, 15 Oct. 2024
This is in sharp contrast to Chernobyl, where surrounding areas were completely deserted and reduced to ghost towns, many of which remain abandoned to this day.
—Kate Graham-Shaw, Scientific American, 9 Oct. 2024
Though the imitation ghost town is among the most recognizable areas on the ranch, there are a number of other buildings and sets, including a two-story ranch house, a large red barn, a Spanish-style hacienda that dates to the 1900s, and a stationary four-car train.
—Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 3 Oct. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1894, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near ghost town
Cite this Entry
“Ghost town.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ghost%20town. Accessed 7 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
ghost town
noun
: a town deserted because some natural resource has been used up
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