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.
The Pampa de Arrieros is a ghost town that was abandoned for two decades but has had some locals building their second homes. Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 19 Jan. 2026 But the operations that month turned the bustling shopping district into a ghost town. Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2026 The historic route winds through old mining and ghost towns such as Madrid, Golden, and Los Cerrillos. Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 16 Jan. 2026 As the novel goes on, Obreht weaves three timelines together—Coll’s in 2003, Anton Vargas’s in 1902—to unravel the mystery of Sunrise, the ghost town to end all ghost towns. Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 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

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Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

ghost town

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

More from Merriam-Webster on ghost town

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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