downstate
noun
down·state
ˈdau̇n-ˌstāt 
: the chiefly southerly sections of a state
also
: the chiefly rural part of a state when the major metropolitan area is to the north
Examples of downstate in a Sentence
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Weaver was born in downstate Danville and graduated from Danville High School, the IA noted.
—
Adam Harrington, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
His parents moved from China to the United States on work visas in 1998 and he was born in 1999, later attending high school in downstate Carbondale and the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, before moving to Chicago a few years ago.
—Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
Frustrated in downstate, but still rooting for the underdogs from gritty Buffalo.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 23 Jan. 2026
New Illinois believes an independent downstate Illinois could thrive economically.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for downstate
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Adam Harrington, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
His parents moved from China to the United States on work visas in 1998 and he was born in 1999, later attending high school in downstate Carbondale and the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, before moving to Chicago a few years ago.
—Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
Frustrated in downstate, but still rooting for the underdogs from gritty Buffalo.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 23 Jan. 2026
New Illinois believes an independent downstate Illinois could thrive economically.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for downstate
Cite this Entry
“Downstate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downstate. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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