guardrail
noun
guard·rail
ˈgärd-ˌrāl 
: a railing guarding usually against danger
especially
: a barrier placed along the edge of a highway at dangerous points
Examples of guardrail in a Sentence
the car ran off the road, but fortunately only hit the guardrail
Recent Examples on the Web
There are millions of parents like me who have watched our children come of age in an unrestricted and unprotected digital universe devoid of any guardrails that can keep them safe.
—
Molly O'Shea, STAT, 17 Apr. 2024
But federal rules generally don’t require such safety harnesses when workers are standing on scaffolds that are surrounded by guardrails — the type that collapsed on Jan. 2.
—Gavin Off, Charlotte Observer, 16 Apr. 2024
There’s no guardrail between the personal and the political here.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 5 Apr. 2024
With those guardrails in place, Evelyn’s social media presence feels less like fodder for armchair child psychologists and more like a creative outlet for a young woman with a flair for performance and a strong point of view.
—Dianna Mazzone Singh, Allure, 2 Apr. 2024
In Butte County, wind and rain downed trees, damaging roads and guardrails and at least one culvert.
—Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2024
The man crossed the Bridge Street service road, jumped over the guardrail and ran into traffic on I-30 westbound, police said.
—Amy McDaniel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Apr. 2024
Even with better model data and software guardrails, the fluidity of human existence can evade the rigidity of algorithmic categorization.
—Reece Rogers, WIRED, 2 Apr. 2024
Instead, given the inevitability of teens’ digital lives, policy-makers and tech companies have a responsibility to support the creation of social media platforms that include not only enforceable guardrails against harmful content but that also embed helpful tools for youth mental health.
—Jessica Schleider, STAT, 1 Apr. 2024
Molly O'Shea, STAT, 17 Apr. 2024
But federal rules generally don’t require such safety harnesses when workers are standing on scaffolds that are surrounded by guardrails — the type that collapsed on Jan. 2.
—Gavin Off, Charlotte Observer, 16 Apr. 2024
There’s no guardrail between the personal and the political here.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 5 Apr. 2024
With those guardrails in place, Evelyn’s social media presence feels less like fodder for armchair child psychologists and more like a creative outlet for a young woman with a flair for performance and a strong point of view.
—Dianna Mazzone Singh, Allure, 2 Apr. 2024
In Butte County, wind and rain downed trees, damaging roads and guardrails and at least one culvert.
—Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2024
The man crossed the Bridge Street service road, jumped over the guardrail and ran into traffic on I-30 westbound, police said.
—Amy McDaniel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Apr. 2024
Even with better model data and software guardrails, the fluidity of human existence can evade the rigidity of algorithmic categorization.
—Reece Rogers, WIRED, 2 Apr. 2024
Instead, given the inevitability of teens’ digital lives, policy-makers and tech companies have a responsibility to support the creation of social media platforms that include not only enforceable guardrails against harmful content but that also embed helpful tools for youth mental health.
—Jessica Schleider, STAT, 1 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'guardrail.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near guardrail
Cite this Entry
“Guardrail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guardrail. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
guardrail
noun
guard·rail
ˈgär-ˌdrāl
: a protective railing placed along dangerous areas (as of a road)
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