as in favelas
a usually poor town or a part of a town where the people live in shanties
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Recent Examples of shantytowns
Their target was the Comando Vermelho (CV), or Red Command, a criminal organization that has ruled these hillside shantytowns for decades.
—
Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 9 Nov. 2025
Farmers once proud of living and working their ancestral land were driven into poverty and forced into shantytowns.
—Nik Kowsar, Time, 2 Oct. 2025
These new shantytowns are plagued with substance abuse, violence and prostitution.
—Chicago Tribune, 17 Aug. 2025
Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 9 Nov. 2025
Farmers once proud of living and working their ancestral land were driven into poverty and forced into shantytowns.
—Nik Kowsar, Time, 2 Oct. 2025
These new shantytowns are plagued with substance abuse, violence and prostitution.
—Chicago Tribune, 17 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shantytowns
Noun
-
Rivers running from Grenada's volcanic interior down to the coast carve waterfalls into the island's lush jungles.—
Carley Rojas Avila,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Jan. 2026
-
From the harsh climates of the Arctic tundra to the lush jungles of South America and the uncharted depths of the ocean, the series unveils the natural world's most captivating wonders across 11 episodes, each providing a behind-the-scenes peek into its production challenges.—
Ilana Gordon,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Dec. 2025
Noun
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In the absence of shelters and other arrangements, California has allowed public spaces to host homeless encampments.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
22 Jan. 2026
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Fewer large encampments this year, Bas said, and more people scattered alone or in smaller communities.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shantytowns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shantytowns. Accessed 26 Jan. 2026.
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