picket fence

noun

plural picket fences
: a fence made of pickets
a white picket fence
Old roses scrambling up a porch or spilling over a picket fence may be reminiscent of a bygone era.Michael MacCaskey
Tall pine trees lined both sides of the road, backdropped by an occasional stone wall or picket fencePeter Gordon
often used to evoke an idealized or stereotypical image or conception of happy suburban homes in the U.S.
First we are lulled with a vision of homespun Americana: flowers, a picket fence, a fireman waving from his fire truck, a man watering his front lawn.David Ansen
"Everyone saw me on TV or read articles, and it was all about my great marriage, the white picket fence, all this success and my perfect life. But behind the scenes, it was a struggle," says [Lindsay] Vonn …Elizabeth Leonard
… grandparents who were hoping their grandchildren would be raised behind a white picket fence and full-measure suburbanites …Janet Elder
We have worked our way up the real estate food chain to the point where we have a modest version of the complete suburban package: the picket fence, the stone walls, the in-ground pool …Charles McGrath

Examples of picket fence in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Alongside a classic white picket fence, a path of green boxwood and white columbines leads to the next exuberant scene in the garden. Teresa Woodard, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Mar. 2025 The pristine shingled buildings behind a white picket fence at The Roundtree only hint at their long history, but one of its cottages dates back 250 years. Irene S. Levine, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025 In 1934, a two-story Colonial surrounded by a white picket fence and dogwood trees appeared just south of Grand Central Terminal, in Manhattan. Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025 Copy Facebook Pinterest Photo by Rod Long/Unsplash Along the Northern California coastline near Fort Bragg, a white picket fence punctuates the rolling green landscape. Blane Bachelor, AFAR Media, 12 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for picket fence

Word History

First Known Use

1777, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of picket fence was in 1777

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Cite this Entry

“Picket fence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/picket%20fence. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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