shantytown

noun

shan·​ty·​town ˈshan-tē-ˌtau̇n 

: a usually poor town or section of a town consisting mostly of shanties

Examples of shantytown in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As the family moved through the shantytown’s narrow streets, gunfire erupted. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 20 May 2026

In 2011, federal agents raided the shantytown and made dozens of arrests. — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2025

These new shantytowns are plagued with substance abuse, violence and prostitution. — Chicago Tribune, 17 Aug. 2025

Farmers once proud of living and working their ancestral land were driven into poverty and forced into shantytowns. — Nik Kowsar, Time, 2 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1876, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for shantytown

• chinatown
• tumbledown
• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown

Kids Definition

shantytown

noun

shan·​ty·​town -ˌtau̇n 

: a usually poor town or section of a town made up mostly of shanties