rust belt

American  

noun

(sometimes initial capital letters)

1. the heavily industrial area of the northeastern U.S. containing the older industries and factories.

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rust belt British  

noun

1. an area where heavy industry is in decline, esp in the Midwest of the US

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Etymology

Origin of rust belt

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

“It was very parochial in Philadelphia, part Rust Belt and part ‘Sopranos,’ ” Witte said.

From Los Angeles Times

He compared Lexington’s closing with the Rust Belt cities his family knew in Ohio.

From The Wall Street Journal

Sometimes they try to fake it by being a Rust Belt kind of fellow or a military man.

From Salon

For the city of Pittsburgh — which has seen a spate of development and tech investment in recent years, as it tries to navigate away from its industrial history and forge a better future than many other Rust Belt cities — the labor strife at its paper of record has proved problematic.

From MarketWatch

For the city of Pittsburgh — which has seen a spate of development and tech investment in recent years, as it tries to navigate away from its industrial history and forge a better future than many other Rust Belt cities — the labor strife at its paper of record has proven problematic.

From MarketWatch