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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of townies
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
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
Noun
-
More Afghan natives live in western and northern Arden Arcade, than in any other ZIP code in America, according to previous Sacramento Bee reporting.—
Corey Schmidt,
Sacbee.com,
16 May 2026
-
The logic of settler-colonialism is the elimination of the natives in order to take over the land and its resources.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
But the export success has hardly trickled down to ordinary citizens and transformed into buying power that can reverse the ongoing property slump, analysts say.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
18 May 2026
-
This is similar to the way returning citizens face civic exclusion after incarceration.—
Shianne LeClaire,
Hartford Courant,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
Most of the residents of the Hamad Building had lived there for decades.—
Rania Abouzeid,
New Yorker,
21 May 2026
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Many residents urged council members to reject a pause and approve a permanent ban instead.—
Drew Aunkst,
CBS News,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
To contain and observe those elephants, the villagers use firecrackers, electric fences, and – in one image Shah finds particularly resonant – eyes painted onto tree trunks, a human appeal to the forest to look back and see them.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
18 May 2026
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In 2019, Mohsin went to pick up his mother at her vegetable stand in Nyala, South Darfur, when armed men stormed the area and shot villagers at random.—
Annie Hylton,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Townies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/townies. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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