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

Synonyms of guardrail

• railing
• rail

Examples of guardrail in a Sentence

the car ran off the road, but fortunately only hit the guardrail

Recent Examples on the Web

Kansas City’s plan commission staged an initial discussion on Wednesday about Gillon Property Group’s master plan for the Plaza, which includes zoning guidelines and guardrails for how future construction there should look and play out. —Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 5 Dec. 2025

And such extended interactions appear to be precisely the situations in which a chatbot’s guardrails fall apart and human users are at greatest risk. —Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2025

In the workplace, on the playing surface or in the stands, zeal without guardrails becomes a threat to safety, reputation and the sport product itself. —Rick Burton, Sportico.com, 4 Dec. 2025

There just haven't been any guardrails on their growth. —Alexis Kayser, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for guardrail

• airmail
• assail
• avail
• bewail
• blackmail
• cattail
• cocktail
• curtail
• derail
• detail
• dovetail
• email

Kids Definition

guardrail

noun

guard·​rail ˈgär-ˌdrāl 

: a protective railing placed along dangerous areas (as of a road)