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

Its 287 rooms are minutes away from Downtown Brooklyn, a short stroll from restaurant-heavy Fort Greene, and a quick subway ride from Manhattan. —Wilder Davies, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 Mar. 2026

The department also coordinates with Metro’s public transit system to reroute buses around the caravan and implement subway station closures, Sweeney adds. —Brett Berk, HollywoodReporter, 14 Mar. 2026

The explosion occurred during an epic battle over building a subway under Wilshire Boulevard from downtown. —Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026

Conductors are in charge of operating the trains’ doors, ensuring passengers get on and off the subways safely, and making announcements. —Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 13 Mar. 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