: opposition to the locating of something considered undesirable (such as a prison or incinerator) in one's neighborhood
Examples of NIMBY in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In Arizona, a land of many well-off retirees, golfers and snowbirds, NIMBY obstructions to affordable, multifamily developments are aplenty.
—
The Arizona Republic, 31 July 2023
And then there is the NIMBY crowd, the homeowners and renters who have shown a ferocious determination to keep homeless shelters and housing out of their neighborhoods.
—David Wharton, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2023
Jail Commander Kenny Bradshaw said keeping it in Bisbee also would alleviate issues with the not-in-my-backyard sentiment, or NIMBY.
—Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 19 Apr. 2023
Clark offered up a few dreams: changing people’s attitudes and calling out NIMBY sentiments as an uncaring response to the communities calling out for help.
—Leah Waters, Dallas News, 14 Apr. 2023
In nearby Berkeley, the first city to pass the archetypal NIMBY zoning requiring that only single-family homes be built in the city, YIMBYs struck a huge victory in early 2021 with the repeal of the century-old law.
—Alena Botros, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2023
Going back decades, Black nightlife spaces have fought the NYPD and any number of bureaucratic arms trying to shut them down (not to mention NIMBY types looking for reasons to lodge another noise complaint), while whiter spaces have historically faced less scrutiny.
—Abe Beame, Rolling Stone, 21 Feb. 2023
Still, not-in-my-backyard (NIMBY) sentiments remain widespread in Utah, and most experts in urban planning agree the list of new development projects that fully and successfully apply smart growth principles remains short.
—The Salt Lake Tribune, 22 Apr. 2022
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The Arizona Republic, 31 July 2023
And then there is the NIMBY crowd, the homeowners and renters who have shown a ferocious determination to keep homeless shelters and housing out of their neighborhoods.
—David Wharton, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2023
Jail Commander Kenny Bradshaw said keeping it in Bisbee also would alleviate issues with the not-in-my-backyard sentiment, or NIMBY.
—Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 19 Apr. 2023
Clark offered up a few dreams: changing people’s attitudes and calling out NIMBY sentiments as an uncaring response to the communities calling out for help.
—Leah Waters, Dallas News, 14 Apr. 2023
In nearby Berkeley, the first city to pass the archetypal NIMBY zoning requiring that only single-family homes be built in the city, YIMBYs struck a huge victory in early 2021 with the repeal of the century-old law.
—Alena Botros, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2023
Going back decades, Black nightlife spaces have fought the NYPD and any number of bureaucratic arms trying to shut them down (not to mention NIMBY types looking for reasons to lodge another noise complaint), while whiter spaces have historically faced less scrutiny.
—Abe Beame, Rolling Stone, 21 Feb. 2023
Still, not-in-my-backyard (NIMBY) sentiments remain widespread in Utah, and most experts in urban planning agree the list of new development projects that fully and successfully apply smart growth principles remains short.
—The Salt Lake Tribune, 22 Apr. 2022
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'NIMBY.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
not in my backyard
First Known Use
1980, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near NIMBY
Cite this Entry
“NIMBY.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/NIMBY. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.
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