picket fence
noun
plural picket fences
: a fence made of pickets
a white picket fence
Old roses scrambling up a porch or spilling over a picket fence may be reminiscent of a bygone era.—
Michael MacCaskey
Michael MacCaskeyTall pine trees lined both sides of the road, backdropped by an occasional stone wall or picket fence …—Peter Gordon
—often used to evoke an idealized or stereotypical image or conception of happy suburban homes in the U.S.Peter GordonFirst we are lulled with a vision of homespun Americana: flowers, a picket fence, a fireman waving from his fire truck, a man watering his front lawn.—David Ansen
David Ansen"Everyone saw me on TV or read articles, and it was all about my great marriage, the white picket fence, all this success and my perfect life. But behind the scenes, it was a struggle," says [Lindsay] Vonn …—Elizabeth Leonard
Elizabeth Leonard… grandparents who were hoping their grandchildren would be raised behind a white picket fence and full-measure suburbanites …—Janet Elder
Janet ElderWe have worked our way up the real estate food chain to the point where we have a modest version of the complete suburban package: the picket fence, the stone walls, the in-ground pool …—Charles McGrath
Charles McGrathExamples of picket fence in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Achieving the American Dream of owning a home with a white-picket fence is on pause for now, too; about 17% are delaying buying a house, and 6% are even delaying getting married.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 12 Dec. 2025
Beyond the White Picket Fence Young generations who feel cut off from the American Dream, symbolized by the almost-mythical home with the white picket fence, will continue finding alternative ways to reach homeownership, according to Redfin.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
Looking to the 1950s nuclear family, Taubman envisioned moments of vulnerability behind the white picket fence.
—Ari Stark, Footwear News, 25 Nov. 2025
Perhaps the final three episodes will pull together a cogent statement or two, something beyond the trope of ostensibly idyllic small towns hiding monstrous truths behind their white picket fences.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for picket fence
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Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 12 Dec. 2025
Beyond the White Picket Fence Young generations who feel cut off from the American Dream, symbolized by the almost-mythical home with the white picket fence, will continue finding alternative ways to reach homeownership, according to Redfin.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
Looking to the 1950s nuclear family, Taubman envisioned moments of vulnerability behind the white picket fence.
—Ari Stark, Footwear News, 25 Nov. 2025
Perhaps the final three episodes will pull together a cogent statement or two, something beyond the trope of ostensibly idyllic small towns hiding monstrous truths behind their white picket fences.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for picket fence
Cite this Entry
“Picket fence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/picket%20fence. Accessed 19 Dec. 2025.
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