guardrail

noun

guard·​rail ˈgärd-ˌrāl How to pronounce guardrail (audio)
Synonyms of guardrailnext
: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Important guardrails to know before switching Google added limits to prevent abuse and confusion. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 3 Jan. 2026 Other measures require law enforcement agencies to clearly disclose their use of AI tools and impose guardrails on companion-style chatbots, particularly when minors are involved. Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 2 Jan. 2026 What Else to Expect from Gelt Gelt says more calculators are on the roadmap, including tools covering the Augusta Rule and hiring a spouse or children, pairing estimates with guardrails for compliance. Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 2 Jan. 2026 Grok, the chatbot of Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI, published sexualized images of children as its guardrails seem to have failed when it was prompted with vile user requests. Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for guardrail

Word History

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of guardrail was in 1860

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Guardrail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guardrail. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.

Kids Definition

guardrail

noun
guard·​rail ˈgär-ˌdrāl How to pronounce guardrail (audio)
: a protective railing placed along dangerous areas (as of a road)
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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