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banister

noun

ˈba-nə-stər How to pronounce banister (audio)
variants also bannister
Definition of banisternext
as in railing
a protective barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and its supports a much-needed new banister for the rickety staircase

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of banister These include an Italian marble floor and dual stairways to the second floor that have solid bronze banisters from Brazil. — James Alexander, Hartford Courant, 31 May 2026 The staircase is a floating composition of wood treads, steel posts and glass banisters. — Sara B. Hansen, Denver Post, 25 May 2026 Plan your visit to President Lincoln's Cottage At the cottage, visitors are invited to sit on 19th-century chairs and pull themselves up using the original wooden banister, unlike most historic homes. — Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 3 May 2026 Over the banister, moonlight spilled across the foyer and illuminated a gloved hand reaching through the jagged hole in the window beside the front door. — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for banister
Recent Examples of Synonyms for banister
  1. railing
  2. rail
Noun
  • The victim suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries, as bystanders on the boardwalk jumped over railings to avoid the speeding car.
    — Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
  • In some extreme cases, views were restricted by railings, but many complained about poor sightlines or having bridges in the way.
    — Luke Smith, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of railing
Noun
  • That included eliminating 400 vacant positions, tapping an $89 million rail-project reserve to cover transit expenses and using an affordable-housing reserve to pay for a county eviction-reduction program.
    — Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2026
  • More news California’s high-speed rail authority spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on first-class flights and trips to a nightclub, a report finds.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of rail

Browse Nearby Words

banishments
banister
banisters
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Banister.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/banister. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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