white flight

noun

: the departure of whites from places (such as urban neighborhoods or schools) increasingly or predominantly populated by minorities

Examples of white flight in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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That population boomed in the 1960s and '70s as white flight fueled urban sprawl. John Wisely, Detroit Free Press, 30 Sep. 2024 Altadena is a bastion for financial mobility and generational longevity for middle-class Black and brown Angelenos, which became one of the most integrated neighborhoods in Los Angeles County after years of white flight during the 1950s. Elizabeth Price, Vox, 22 Jan. 2025 In the 1960s, a combination of urban renewal, white flight and the political movements of the time caused rapid demographic shifts in the Altadena region, according to Altadena Heritage. Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 15 Jan. 2025 In the 1960s, freeway extensions and lawsuits over Pasadena Unified School District’s desegregation led to white flight. Mel Buer, The Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for white flight 

Word History

First Known Use

1956, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of white flight was in 1956

Dictionary Entries Near white flight

Cite this Entry

“White flight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/white%20flight. Accessed 23 Feb. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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