as in cities
a thickly settled, highly populated area
after driving for miles with nothing but corn and wheat fields to look at, we were relieved to roll into a small town and have a bite to eat at the local diner
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Recent Examples of towns
An enormous amount of the population live in small coastal towns.
—
Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 21 June 2026
Alas, Stowe is one of the rare ski towns that is busier in summer than winter so don’t expect deals.
—Larry Olmsted, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026
According to the map published by Israel soon after the ceasefire, the buffer zone marks about 600 square kilometers consisting of 57 towns and villages.
—Rebecca Schneid, Time, 21 June 2026
Florida’s State Road A1A is crawling with lively beach towns, and one of its best is New Smyrna Beach.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 21 June 2026
Separately, towns across Ohio, Wisconsin, Maryland, Nevada and California have put questions related to data centers on their local ballots.
—Rachel Mural, Fortune, 21 June 2026
Critics want clearer answers before towns approve major projects.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 20 June 2026
Roughly 20 new public power utilities have formed in the last quarter century, mostly in smaller towns, according to Ursula Schryver of the American Public Power Association.
—John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 20 June 2026
But this Pacific Northwest locale is brimming with charming small towns also worth exploring.
—Zoe Baillargeon, Travel + Leisure, 20 June 2026
Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 21 June 2026
Alas, Stowe is one of the rare ski towns that is busier in summer than winter so don’t expect deals.
—Larry Olmsted, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026
According to the map published by Israel soon after the ceasefire, the buffer zone marks about 600 square kilometers consisting of 57 towns and villages.
—Rebecca Schneid, Time, 21 June 2026
Florida’s State Road A1A is crawling with lively beach towns, and one of its best is New Smyrna Beach.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 21 June 2026
Separately, towns across Ohio, Wisconsin, Maryland, Nevada and California have put questions related to data centers on their local ballots.
—Rachel Mural, Fortune, 21 June 2026
Critics want clearer answers before towns approve major projects.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 20 June 2026
Roughly 20 new public power utilities have formed in the last quarter century, mostly in smaller towns, according to Ursula Schryver of the American Public Power Association.
—John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 20 June 2026
But this Pacific Northwest locale is brimming with charming small towns also worth exploring.
—Zoe Baillargeon, Travel + Leisure, 20 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for towns
Noun
-
Urban and regional planners Planners oversee the growth and development of towns and cities.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
-
This year, cost was listed as a top factor against planning a trip, with those with a household income under $50,000, Gen X and those outside large cities and suburbs more likely to choose that reason.—
Elena Moore,
NPR,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
But with thousands of communities, ranging from small towns to bustling metropolises, choosing your next home in the Lone Star State can be overwhelming.—
Dobrina Zhekova,
Travel + Leisure,
14 June 2026
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But the reality of finding quality work in one of America’s top 30 metropolises is more complicated, and statistics only tell one side of the story.—
Keonna Yearwood-Branch,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Towns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/towns. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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