white flight

noun

: the departure of whites from places (such as urban neighborhoods or schools) increasingly or predominantly populated by minorities

Examples of white flight in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The development changed hands a couple of times during the 1920s, and during the late 1920s and the 1930s, the building deteriorated to the point of being unlivable as white flight and disinvestment hit the area, Preservation Chicago said. —Adam Harrington, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026

There was a surge of white flight in the early 1990s. —Literary Hub, 20 Feb. 2026

As streetcars gave way to private automobiles, the government built interstates and white flight swelled the suburbs, our city infrastructure was refashioned to favor cars. —Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026

Detroit’s ranking as the most affordable city in Remitly’s list reflects the city’s decades-long population loss, driven by white flight and a decline in the auto industry, Lens said. —Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1953, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for white flight

• acolyte
• aconite
• allanite
• alunite
• amberlite
• ammonite
• amorite
• amphitrite
• analyte
• anchorite
• andesite
• anhydrite