highway

noun

high·​way ˈhī-ˌwā 

: a public way

especially : a main direct road

Synonyms of highway

• road
• freeway
• street
• expressway
• thoroughfare
• route
• roadway
• boulevard
• carriageway
• turnpike
• artery
• arterial

Examples of highway in a Sentence

I had heard there was a traffic jam on the highway, so I took the side roads.

the four-lane highway narrows to two lanes once you leave the city

Recent Examples on the Web

Tens of thousands fled by boat from Hue, many drowning in the attempt, and by the end of March a million refugees—soldiers, civilians, whole extended families—were clogging Route 7B, a major highway, trying to get farther south. —Louis Menand, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026

Set to open next month, the 104-acre facility is designed to move freight off highways and onto rail lines — a shift state and local leaders say could reduce the number of long-haul trucks clogging Atlanta's already congested interstates. —Brian Unger, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026

Slow-moving convoys of vehicles also caused traffic jams on major highways. —Brian Melley, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2026

Back on the highway, the rearview mirror showed the clouds had lifted, the waters were still, and a rainbow had arched across the sky. —Marlise Kast-Myers, Boston Herald, 12 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing highway

• divided highway
• highway robbery

Rhymes for highway

• airway
• allay
• archway
• array
• ashtray
• astray
• aue
• away
• ballet
• belay
• beltway
• beret

Kids Definition

highway

noun

high·​way ˈhī-ˌwā 

: a public road

especially : a main direct road