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

In narrow New York terms, the subway shooting marked the end of one period as much as the start of another. —Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026

Or, not unlike other major cities’ subway systems, what if there were buskers playing music in the skyways or more ambitious public art installations, Hanley asks. —Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2026

The new first lady of New York City wore a style from the independent luxury label Miista, specifically the brand’s Shelley boots, for the momentous occasion held in the former city hall subway at midnight. —Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 9 Jan. 2026

Legislative and city leaders need to partner with the disabled community and the MTA by properly funding paratransit to improve the quality of life for our most vulnerable New Yorkers who cannot safely access buses or subways. —Gian Carlo Pedulla, New York Daily News, 9 Jan. 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
• astray
• aue
• away
• ballet
• belay
• beltway
• beret

Kids Definition

subway

noun

sub·​way ˈsəb-ˌwā 

1

: an underground passage

2

: a usually electric underground railway