subway

noun

sub·​way ˈsəb-ˌwā 

: an underground way: such as

a

: a passage under a street (as for pedestrians, power cables, or water or gas mains)

b

: a usually electric underground railway

c

: underpass

subway intransitive verb

Examples of subway in a Sentence

I took the subway to midtown.

No one on the subway seemed to mind how crowded it was.

I've been on both the New York subway and the Underground in London.

Recent Examples on the Web

The subway smashup took place in the early morning hours of October 24, between the Ave. — Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 2 Nov. 2026

The costume appeared to pay homage to the viral 2015 video of a rat dragging a slice of pizza down the stairs of a New York City subway station. — Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 1 Nov. 2026

In fact, that subway pole may actually be cleaner than your iPhone. — Eric Alt, Popular Science, 1 Nov. 2026

Over time such strain can crack foundations, break sewer lines, damage subway systems and worsen flooding. — Sanidhya Sharma, Scientific American, 30 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1822, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing subway

• subway train

Rhymes for subway

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

Kids Definition

subway

noun

sub·​way ˈsəb-ˌwā 

1

: an underground passage

2

: a usually electric underground railway