railroad

noun rail·road \ ˈrāl-ˌrōd , ˈrel- ; ˈre-ˌrōd \

Updated on: 16 Apr 2018

Definition of railroad

: a permanent road having a line of rails fixed to ties and laid on a roadbed and providing a track for cars or equipment drawn by locomotives or propelled by self-contained motors; also : such a road and its assets constituting a single property

See railroad defined for English-language learners

See railroad defined for kids

Examples of railroad in a Sentence

that railroad hasn't been used for passenger trains for decades

Recent Examples of railroad from the Web

Neighbors reported seeing the pair roaming around the railroad tracks near Braley Road Thursday evening, Freetown Animal Control said in a Facebook post.

— elise takahama, BostonGlobe.com, "The 2 emus that were running around Freetown have been captured," 9 Apr. 2018
More homeless men arrived December of that year after they were evicted from an encampment along railroad tracks in North Akron to make way for Phase III of Summit Metro Parks Freedom Trail.

— jennifer conn, akron reporter, cleveland.com, "Second Chance Village supporters rally at Akron City Council to support homeless encampment," 9 Apr. 2018
But the agency still plans to clear any encampments that spring up too close to railroad tracks or other rights-of-way.

— laura j. nelson, latimes.com, "As waves of homeless descend onto trains, L.A. tries a new strategy: social workers on the subway," 6 Apr. 2018
Plans call for new sidewalks along the west side of the roadway, buffered bike lanes in each direction, and a decomposed granite pathway between the highway and the railroad tracks.

— barbara henry, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Encinitas may borrow close to $30 million for Coast Highway project," 31 Mar. 2018
Some 80 percent of the population was black, and though transportation was integrated on buses and railroads, most public spaces, such as hotels and restaurants, remained segregated.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "Linda Brown, at the Center of Brown v. Board of Education, Has Died," 27 Mar. 2018
One of Myers’ niche practices is representing railroad workers and those injured in train crashes, and his brother is an Amtrak track man.

— stephanie farr, Philly.com, "Philly lawyer writes legal thriller loosely based on 2015 Amtrak crash," 26 Mar. 2018
Ezekiel Gillespie, a black railroad worker who owned a home in Milwaukee, sued when he was denied a chance to vote in the state election in the fall of 1865.

— meg jones, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Key civil rights spots in Milwaukee," 23 Mar. 2018
Jerry, a railroad worker who also managed a 140-acre farm, became a full-time caregiver.

— dana oland, idahostatesman, "When a loved one needs hospice, you’ll have new options in Idaho. Like a death doula. | Idaho Statesman," 21 Mar. 2018

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

First Known Use of railroad

1757

in the meaning defined above

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railroad Synonyms

Synonyms

rail, railway, road;

Related Words

el, elevated, elevated railroad;

monorail;

railroad

verb

Definition of railroad

transitive verb

1 a : to convict with undue haste and by means of false charges or insufficient evidence

b : to push through hastily or without due consideration

2 : to transport by railroad

intransitive verb

: to work for a railroad company

—

railroader

noun

See railroad defined for English-language learners

Examples of railroad in a Sentence

a controversial law that is being railroaded through Congress
a bill that was railroaded into law
They claim she was railroaded.

Recent Examples of railroad from the Web

So the skeleton was taken apart by researchers from the university, put into bags and tied to railroad wheels.

— kale williams, OregonLive.com, "OSU wants to display blue whale bones, but there’s an expensive catch," 30 Jan. 2018
Now the Supreme Court must decide if McCoy was railroaded and deserves a new trial.

— editors, USA TODAY, "5 things you need to know Wednesday," 17 Jan. 2018
So half of the country's going to believe, or 40% of the country believes that McCabe was railroaded.

— NBC News, "Meet the Press - March 18, 2018," 18 Mar. 2018
To railroad companies around the world, that wasn’t acceptable.

— michael downing, Smithsonian, "One Hundred Years Later, the Madness of Daylight Saving Time Endures," 9 Mar. 2018
The defendant’s lead attorney, however, painted a starkly different picture to jurors, portraying his client as a man who risked his life to assist America’s war on drugs but is now being unfairly railroaded by federal agencies.

— jay weaver, miamiherald, "Colombian informant facing drug charges claims he was ‘stabbed in the back’ by U.S.," 7 Feb. 2018
Hayat’s case returns to federal court in Sacramento on Monday for another review of whether he was railroaded by the government prosecutors who also convicted his father, an ice cream vendor.

— sam stanton and stephen magagnini, sacbee, "‘Don’t talk to the FBI, never, ever.’ Lodi man seeks to overturn terrorism conviction," 29 Jan. 2018
After being railroaded by the Thunder, Isaiah Thomas said there was little accountability on the Cavs.

— joe vardon, cleveland.com, "LeBron James hopes Tyronn Lue isn't fired because of Cavaliers' struggles," 21 Jan. 2018
There are a lot of black men who get railroaded or the system doesn't treat right.

— mark elibert, Billboard, "Talib Kweli Talks 'Radio Silence,' H&M's Controversial 'Monkey' Ad & Why He Thinks Trump Is a 'Classic Racist'," 17 Jan. 2018

First Known Use of railroad

1829

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

See Words from the same year

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RAILROAD Defined for English Language Learners

railroad

noun

Definition of railroad for English Language Learners

: a system of tracks on which trains travel
: a company that owns and operates trains

railroad

verb

Definition of railroad for English Language Learners

: to force (something) to be officially approved or accepted without much discussion or thought
: to convict (someone) of a crime unfairly
: to force (someone) into doing something quickly or without enough information