Definition of boneyardnext
as in cemetery
a piece of land used for burying the dead a once-notorious gunslinger who now lies in the forlorn boneyard of an Old West ghost town

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of boneyard His conversations from a decade ago provide clues as to how race science was picked out of the boneyard of history and reanimated into a force that’s influencing U.S. politics right now. Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026 Without these organisms, which provide the corals with food and bestow their stunning colors, the reef becomes a boneyard. Susan Casey, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026 The state’s political boneyard has a number of Lake County candidates residing there. Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 21 July 2025 Which one is worthy of a Jonathan Bailey clarinet solo, and which will be sent to the boneyard? Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 3 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for boneyard
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boneyard
Noun
  • Outside the cemetery, father and son stood in a line with their male relatives to receive condolences.
    Rania Abouzeid, New Yorker, 21 May 2026
  • The hotel is within the Old Cambridge Historic District, next to a cemetery where soldiers who fought at Bunker Hill during the American Revolution are buried.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 May 2026
Noun
  • The cemetery is the second oldest graveyard in the San Fernando Valley.
    Holly Andres, Daily News, 20 May 2026
  • Closer to the audience, there is a graveyard traversed by roving immigration officers.
    Juan A. Ramírez, Vogue, 20 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Boneyard.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boneyard. Accessed 23 May. 2026.

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