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 latest statistics show there have been 19 deaths and 25 injuries related to subway surfing since 2022, adding the number of arrests has gone up every year, thanks, in part, to the deployment of drone patrols. — Dave Carlin, CBS News, 11 Nov. 2026

While subway surfing, track intrusions, and train break-ins remain a persistent problem for the MTA and NYPD, lethal incidents have lulled since a surfing spike in 2024. — Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 10 Nov. 2026

Minutes later, Lubarsky stepped off the subway to join an impromptu Zoom meeting with HR and got laid off in the middle of downtown Brooklyn, New York. — Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 10 Nov. 2026

New Yorkers also want money for the Second Avenue subway extension, plus relief for the more than 20,000 affected by changes to SNAP and the more than 400,000 facing Medicaid changes. — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 8 Nov. 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