guardrail

noun guard·rail \ ˈgärd-ˌrāl \

|Updated on: 8 Aug 2018

Definition of guardrail

: a railing guarding usually against danger; especially : a barrier placed along the edge of a highway at dangerous points

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Examples of guardrail in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of guardrail from the Web

The trooper struck and then went over a guardrail, causing his cruiser to burst into flames, police said.

— katie camero, BostonGlobe.com, "State trooper pulled out of burning cruiser after he crashed into guardrail to avoid hitting deer," 6 July 2018
But journalists and lawyers said that the department’s handling of Ms. Watkins’s case was a sign that those guardrails might be on their way out, under a president who relishes taunting the press.

— New York Times, "In Targeting Times Reporter, Justice Dept. Backs Trump’s Anti-Press Rhetoric," 10 June 2018
In 2014, Giles was returning to her Sweetwater, TN, home with friends from a concert in Nashville when the driver of the car hit a guardrail, according to WATE 6.

— alexia fernandez, PEOPLE.com, "Tennessee Woman Who Gave Birth While in a Coma Dies 3 Years After Regaining Consciousness," 23 May 2018
Officers spotted the car on Boynton Beach Boulevard at the I-95 overpass, but the carjackers got out, jumped over the guardrail and escaped.

— Sun-Sentinel.com, "Boynton Beach Area Crime Log: March 10 - April 7," 27 Apr. 2018
The men were thrown over the guardrail and into the water.

— littice bacon-blood, NOLA.com, "Bus driver in fatal I-10 crash sentenced to 15 years in prison," 9 Apr. 2018
The semitractor-trailer hit a guardrail and concrete construction barrier wall, causing the trailer to become detached from the tractor, the release states.

— becky jacobs, Post-Tribune, "Semi driver distracted by bug spills 42,000 pounds of plastic on I-65 near Lowell," 12 July 2018
The preliminary investigation indicates the driver of the 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche lost control of the vehicle while on the ramp and traveled off the left side of the roadway, struck the guardrail and overturned, police said.

— staff report, The Aegis, "One man dies in single vehicle Bel Air crash Friday evening," 30 June 2018
Ohio averages more than 1,000 traffic fatalities a year, Moretti said, but those could be curbed by adding features such as rumble strips, guardrails and pedestrian lights.

— hannah sparling, Cincinnati.com, "You’re losing $2,000 a year to Cincy’s bad roads, a full work week stuck in traffic," 21 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'guardrail.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of guardrail

1860

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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guardrail Synonyms

Synonyms

balustrade, banister (also bannister), rail, railing;

Related Words

handrail;

taffrail;

fender;

GUARDRAIL Defined for English Language Learners

guardrail

noun

Definition of guardrail for English Language Learners

: a strong metal bar along the side of a road that prevents vehicles from driving off the road
: a strong bar or fence that prevents people from falling off a deck, bridge, etc.