Wild West
noun
: the western U.S. in its frontier period characterized by roughness and lawlessness
Wild West
adjective
Examples of Wild West in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Unlike other Wild West figures who were lathered in hagiography, Reeves needed no embellishment.
—
Wil Haygood, Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2023
The town itself has a Wild West feel, a few different natural hot springs, and more than 100 restaurants and bars.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 27 Oct. 2023
There’s a Wild West of audio lit out there, all for free (via LibriVox).
—Paul Grimstad, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2023
And for the most part, governments and international organizations are running behind the facts in regulating it, leaving the door open to a Wild West, with more losers than winners.
—Claire Zillman, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2023
But The Real Wild West also misses an opportunity worthy of the Gold Rush.
—Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 4 July 2023
The show was set in the archetypal Wild West and centered on an itinerant cowboy-gunman named Dave Blassingame, whose occasional partner in mischief is a voluble gambler, Burgundy Smith.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2023
Nelson, whose stage name at the height of her career was Molly Spotted Elk, was a Penobscot dancer from Maine who spent much of her young adult life performing both traditional and popular dances in vaudeville troupes, chorus lines, Wild West shows and nightclubs.
—Will Dudding, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2023
That kind of reaction doesn’t deter Mr. Lawson, 42, who manages the tribe’s internet company along with his small charging business, Wild West EV.
—Jack Ewing, New York Times, 17 Aug. 2023
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Wil Haygood, Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2023
The town itself has a Wild West feel, a few different natural hot springs, and more than 100 restaurants and bars.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 27 Oct. 2023
There’s a Wild West of audio lit out there, all for free (via LibriVox).
—Paul Grimstad, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2023
And for the most part, governments and international organizations are running behind the facts in regulating it, leaving the door open to a Wild West, with more losers than winners.
—Claire Zillman, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2023
But The Real Wild West also misses an opportunity worthy of the Gold Rush.
—Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 4 July 2023
The show was set in the archetypal Wild West and centered on an itinerant cowboy-gunman named Dave Blassingame, whose occasional partner in mischief is a voluble gambler, Burgundy Smith.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2023
Nelson, whose stage name at the height of her career was Molly Spotted Elk, was a Penobscot dancer from Maine who spent much of her young adult life performing both traditional and popular dances in vaudeville troupes, chorus lines, Wild West shows and nightclubs.
—Will Dudding, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2023
That kind of reaction doesn’t deter Mr. Lawson, 42, who manages the tribe’s internet company along with his small charging business, Wild West EV.
—Jack Ewing, New York Times, 17 Aug. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Wild West.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1844, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near Wild West
Cite this Entry
“Wild West.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Wild%20West. Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
Wild West
noun
: the western U.S. in its frontier period characterized by roughness and lawlessness
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