white flight

noun

: the departure of whites from places (such as urban neighborhoods or schools) increasingly or predominantly populated by minorities

Examples of white flight in a Sentence

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 was a surge of white flight in the early 1990s. — Literary Hub, 20 Feb. 2026 Germans, beer, white flight, uprising, rebirth. — Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026 Some blame white flight and some blame the fact that people could move to bigger houses than Park Forest offered as a reason for the end of that era. — Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 17 May 2026 Detroit’s ranking as the most affordable city in Remitly’s list reflects the city’s decades-long population loss, driven by white flight and a decline in the auto industry, Lens said. — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for white flight

Word History

First Known Use

1953, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of white flight was in 1953

Rhymes for white flight

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Browse Nearby Words

white flesher
white flight
white flour
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Cite this Entry

“White flight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/white%20flight. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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