townies

noun

plural of townie
1
as in natives
a usually longtime resident of a locality the townies are dismayed that all the venerable manses around the village green are being bought as vacation homes by rich interlopers

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2
as in citizens
a person who lives in a town on a permanent basis the university board met with an association representing the townies to figure out a solution to the problems created by off-campus parties

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of townies Friedlich hangs a lot of The Holes’s emotional bent on the dynamic between Joey and Carson, as two lonely townies who have spent a lot of their lives misunderstanding each other. — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026 These were not preppy tourist kids but townies with townie buzz cuts. — Stephen King, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026 In the episode's final moments, Clint and several bloodthirsty townies descend upon the Black Spot with guns. — Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Dec. 2025 The firm stand against gentrification taken in its onscreen narrative, about middle-class townies crowding out longstanding local businesses, also felt indicative of Jenkins’ place in a film industry intent on adopting newer, slicker, more commercial methods. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 31 Aug. 2025 Scripted Set in the doomsday-fearing year 1999, The WONDERfools is a comedy action adventure that follows a group of awkward townies who unexpectedly gain superpowers and take on villains threatening the peace of Haeseong City. — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for townies
  1. natives
  2. citizens
  3. residents
  4. villagers
Noun
  • Fully unveiled on Friday in New Delhi, the 12-month spread was photographed by Sølve Sundsbø, who had shot last year’s edition, as well as by India natives Raghu Rai and Avani Rai.
    — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Catoir warns against assuming that digital natives will naturally be equipped to work with AI.
    — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of natives
Noun
  • The lawsuit is different from previous legal action against the president -- first, in that the plaintiffs are ordinary citizens, shifting the focus from news gatherers to news consumers, and thus implying a much larger pool of stakeholders.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Israel does not allow most citizens to vote absentee from abroad, so many were expected to fly in, including thousands living in the United States.
    — Lia Lapidot Aaron Boxerman and Lia Lapidot, New York Times, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of citizens
Noun
  • And so far, things seem to be operating smoothly — something local residents have grown to expect, given the high caliber of local elections officials and the careful oversight of political parties.
    — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Cook County commissioners are looking to take a digital leap to help protect residents’ data from the grasp of immigration enforcement agents.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of residents
Noun
  • Fischer and Wilson’s bawdy fable is predominately about how this flammable hunk makes the rest of the villagers burn up with jealousy.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • That’s what the Prophet Muhammad was doing in exhibiting restraint with the angry villagers.
    — Casper ter Kuile, Vox, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of villagers

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townie
townies
townlet
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Cite this Entry

“Townies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/townies. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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