wrong side of the tracks

noun phrase

: a run-down or unfashionable neighborhood

Examples of wrong side of the tracks 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.
Eisenhower was born into a family of seven boys and grew up in Abilene, Kansas, on what was generally considered the wrong side of the tracks. John T. Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026 Ringwald and Andrew McCarthy star in this latest John Hughes’ teenage melodrama about a girl from the wrong side of the tracks and a boy from the country club who fall for each other. Duane Byrge, HollywoodReporter, 31 Mar. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wrong side of the tracks.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wrong%20side%20of%20the%20tracks. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!