ghost town

noun

: a once-flourishing town wholly or nearly deserted usually as a result of the exhaustion of some natural resource

Examples of ghost town in a Sentence

After all the gold was mined, the place became a ghost town.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
As offices emptied and downtowns became ghost towns, Fooda saw its sales fall from $183 million in 2019 to an annual run rate of $13 million by spring 2020. Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026 Terlingua, a quirky former ghost town, serves as a springboard to vast desert vistas in Big Bend National Park. Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026 Patagonian ghost towns left behind by the oil boom, for example. Literary Hub, 31 Mar. 2026 Villages in Guajes de Ayala have become ghost towns as residents flee kidnappings and violence, with families separated for years and essential services shuttered. Megan Janetsky, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ghost town

Word History

First Known Use

1894, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ghost town was in 1894

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ghost town.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ghost%20town. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

ghost town

noun
: a town deserted because some natural resource has been used up

More from Merriam-Webster on ghost town

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster