as in citizen
a person who lives in a town on a permanent basis
thousands of townsmen turned out to vote on the school budget
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of townsman
According to respective Instagram posts from his show co-star Melissa Gilbert and son Clint Lilley, Lilley died Wednesday after a storied career as a Hollywood stuntman and actor, who played various roles on the beloved '70s historical drama, including a townsman and stagecoach driver.
—
Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2025
The townsmen feared his razor-sharp teeth, lightning speed, and quick temper.
—Maeve Dunigan, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2024
Whereas most of the townsmen had a stronger right upper arm bone than the left—suggesting difficult physical labor—some men buried on the hospital grounds had symmetrical arm bones, and their skeletal remains suggested a relatively long and healthy life.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Dec. 2023
From the Wizard of Oz, the company sold two costume pieces that will now live at the Wizard of Oz Museum in Cape Canaveral, Florida: a prototype of the blue-and-white gingham dress Dorothy wore while visiting the Wizard for $125,000 and a jacket worn by a townsman in the Emerald City for $37,500.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Dec. 2022
Mountaineers and townsmen of eastern Tennessee cam in hundreds to pack the auditorium.
—sandiegouniontribune.com, 11 July 2018
Our esteemed fellow-townsman Dr. Arnold is making a tour of Boise County on professional business.
—Arthur Hart, idahostatesman, 2 Mar. 2018
For decades after Jenkins-Davis' murder, there were no arrests in the case, and that created suspicion that Martinsville police were protecting a townsman.
—Will Higgins, Indianapolis Star, 2 Nov. 2017
As his friend Carl Foreman sought help, Cooper was less like Will Kane and more like the townsman who first offers to stand with the marshal but then, when no one else joins the effort, backs out.
—Douglass K. Daniel, Orange County Register, 16 Apr. 2017
Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2025
The townsmen feared his razor-sharp teeth, lightning speed, and quick temper.
—Maeve Dunigan, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2024
Whereas most of the townsmen had a stronger right upper arm bone than the left—suggesting difficult physical labor—some men buried on the hospital grounds had symmetrical arm bones, and their skeletal remains suggested a relatively long and healthy life.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Dec. 2023
From the Wizard of Oz, the company sold two costume pieces that will now live at the Wizard of Oz Museum in Cape Canaveral, Florida: a prototype of the blue-and-white gingham dress Dorothy wore while visiting the Wizard for $125,000 and a jacket worn by a townsman in the Emerald City for $37,500.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Dec. 2022
Mountaineers and townsmen of eastern Tennessee cam in hundreds to pack the auditorium.
—sandiegouniontribune.com, 11 July 2018
Our esteemed fellow-townsman Dr. Arnold is making a tour of Boise County on professional business.
—Arthur Hart, idahostatesman, 2 Mar. 2018
For decades after Jenkins-Davis' murder, there were no arrests in the case, and that created suspicion that Martinsville police were protecting a townsman.
—Will Higgins, Indianapolis Star, 2 Nov. 2017
As his friend Carl Foreman sought help, Cooper was less like Will Kane and more like the townsman who first offers to stand with the marshal but then, when no one else joins the effort, backs out.
—Douglass K. Daniel, Orange County Register, 16 Apr. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for townsman
Noun
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Law Professor Sonia Gipson Rankin argues that Michigan citizens accused of welfare fraud found themselves in a guessing game of who is liable -was it the unemployment agency, technology vendors or management consultants?—
Anjana Susarla,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
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During the trial, the prosecution argued that Patterson had the opportunity to pick lethal mushrooms after seeing their location posted on the citizen science iNaturalist website.—
Hilary Whiteman,
CNN Money,
7 July 2025
Noun
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Afterward, Masai villagers sold handmade beadwork, textiles, and wood-carvings.—
Flora Stubbs,
Travel + Leisure,
8 July 2025
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At the sight of them, the villagers around me spring to action, shouting in Quechua and waving the rope aggressively.—
David Nolan,
Smithsonian Magazine,
8 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Townsman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/townsman. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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