boneyard

noun

ˈbōn-ˌyärd How to pronounce boneyard (audio)
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 Many fire engines are mothballed in city boneyards, and the department has lost nearly 50 more firefighters since the Palisades fire. — Teresa Liu, Daily News, 4 May 2026 Visitors can also participate in boneyard games, a dig site and the Dinos after Dark event. — Alyson Rodriguez, Dallas Morning News, 25 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 See All Example Sentences for boneyard
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boneyard
  1. cemetery
  2. graveyard
Noun
  • Hundreds of mourners later gathered at Rehman Baba cemetery for mass funeral prayers as grief gripped the neighborhood and announcements echoed from mosque loudspeakers, urging residents to join in prayers for those killed.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
  • To judge from the lines of young, very devoted fans snaking around the cemetery, Geese has already built the requisite subculture to thrive longer-term.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of cemetery
Noun
  • Kumari plays Sahibjaan, born in a graveyard to a courtesan who was spurned by her husband’s aristocratic family.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Led by various instructors, the practice uses the graveyard setting to demystify death, reduce stress and teach participants how to live more consciously.
    — Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of graveyard

Browse Nearby Words

bone (up)
boneyard
boneyards
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Boneyard.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boneyard. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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