ghost town

noun

: a once-flourishing town wholly or nearly deserted usually as a result of the exhaustion of some natural resource

Examples of ghost town in a Sentence

After all the gold was mined, the place became a ghost town.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
There’s nothing more haunting than walking on those beautiful soundstages that are ghost towns. — Antonio Ferme, Variety, 6 Aug. 2026 Other staffers have described the institution to me as a ghost town. — Janay Kingsberry, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026 The park offers everything from hiking and rafting to road trips and exploring historic ghost towns. — Abby Price, Travel + Leisure, 30 July 2026 The site has become a ghost town in the decades since the border crossing closed in the 1980s. — Michael Loria, USA Today, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for ghost town

Word History

First Known Use

1894, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ghost town was in 1894

Rhymes for ghost town

See All Rhymes for ghost town

Browse Nearby Words

ghost story
ghost town
ghost word
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ghost town.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ghost%20town. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

ghost town

noun
: a town deserted because some natural resource has been used up

More from Merriam-Webster on ghost town

Nglish: Translation of ghost town for Spanish Speakers

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