railroad

1 of 2

noun

rail·​road ˈrāl-ˌrōd 

ˈrel-;

ˈre-ˌrōd 

: 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

railroad

2 of 2

verb

railroaded; railroading; railroads

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

Synonyms of railroad

Noun

• road
• railway

Examples of railroad in a Sentence

Noun

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

Verb

a controversial law that is being railroaded through Congress

a bill that was railroaded into law

They claim she was railroaded.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

An Ohio man was injured when his vehicle was struck by rail equipment along railroad tracks in the City of Monroe, Michigan. —Paula Wethington, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026

Miller opened the dog crate, and with some coaxing, C31F stepped out and bounded down the hill out of the yard and to the safety of the railroad. —Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 21 Apr. 2026

Verb

In a sneak peek of the final episode shared with Variety, Nelson finally gets a proof-of-life from his ex-wife Marsha (Christine Adams), who is being hunted in the woods by accomplices of the same shadowy figures that have railroaded Nelson into hijacking the train. —K.j. Yossman, Variety, 2 Mar. 2026

Superintendent Joe Maluchnik was placed on administrative leave last year and one board member said that the district leader was a whistleblower being railroaded for questioning past financial practices. —Mike Darnay, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1757, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1829, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing railroad

• railroad bridge
• railroad crossing
• railroad flat
• railroad worm

Rhymes for railroad

• abode
• anode
• barcode
• bestowed
• boatload
• borrowed
• carload
• caseload
• cathode
• commode
• corrode
• crossroad

Kids Definition

railroad

1 of 2 noun

rail·​road ˈrā(ə)l-ˌrōd 

1

: a permanent road that has parallel steel rails which make a track for cars

2

: a railroad together with the lands, buildings, locomotives, cars, and other equipment that belong to it

railroad

2 of 2 verb

1

a

: to send by railroad

b

: to work on a railroad

2

a

: to push (as a bill) through a legislature in a rush

b

: to convict and send to prison without much evidence or by means of false charges

railroader noun