rust belt

noun (sometimes initial capital letters)

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

Origin of rust belt

First recorded in 1980–85

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for rustbelt

Contemporary Examples of rustbelt

The next three leading beneficiaries are all rustbelt states: Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
The Rustbelt Roars Back From the Dead
Joel Kotkin, Richey Piiparinen
December 7, 2014
This could create tremendous opportunity for a broad swath of the rustbelt population.
The Rustbelt Roars Back From the Dead
Joel Kotkin, Richey Piiparinen
December 7, 2014
For much of the past half century, the rustbelt states suffered high levels of unemployment.
The Rustbelt Roars Back From the Dead
Joel Kotkin, Richey Piiparinen
December 7, 2014
In this rustbelt of dying shipyards, joblessness runs as high as 50 percent.
Greece on the Brink of Financial Abyss as Syriza Party Weighs Default
John Psaropoulos
May 12, 2012

British Dictionary definitions for rustbelt

rust belt

noun

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

rustbelt in Culture

Rustbelt

Urban areas in the Northeast and Middle West marked by the concentration of old, declining industries, such as steel and textiles.