1
: a passage for a current of air (as in a mine or to the lungs)
2
: a designated route along which airplanes fly from airport to airport
especially
: such a route equipped with navigational aids
3
: airline
4
: a channel of a designated radio frequency for broadcasting or other radio communication
Examples of airway in a Sentence
a patient with a partially blocked airway
Recent Examples on the Web
The Federal Communications Commission is preparing to sell licenses for the Advanced Wireless Services (AWS-3) bands in a June auction, opening up more airways to mobile carriers and commercial companies.
—
Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
Mouth breathers tend to carry their head forward to open the airway, a subtle shift that can become its own habitual pattern.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2026
Latex balloons when eaten can block an airway.
—Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 24 Mar. 2026
Each group of muscles passes food along to the next step at exactly the right moment, while the airway briefly closes to keep food from entering the lungs.
—Sundeep Venkatesan, The Conversation, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for airway
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Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
Mouth breathers tend to carry their head forward to open the airway, a subtle shift that can become its own habitual pattern.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2026
Latex balloons when eaten can block an airway.
—Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 24 Mar. 2026
Each group of muscles passes food along to the next step at exactly the right moment, while the airway briefly closes to keep food from entering the lungs.
—Sundeep Venkatesan, The Conversation, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for airway
Cite this Entry
“Airway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/airway. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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Medical Definition
airway
noun
air·way
-ˌwā 
: a passageway for air into or out of the lungs
specifically
: a device passed into the trachea by way of the mouth or nose or through an incision to maintain a clear respiratory passageway (as during anesthesia, convulsions, or in obstructive laryngitis) see upper airway
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