Definition of guardrailnext
as in railing
a protective barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and its supports the car ran off the road, but fortunately only hit the guardrail

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 guardrail The edges in the setup are meant to be guardrails that direct the charge carriers in opposite directions. — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026 Deterministic guardrails such as cost ceilings, approval thresholds, budget limits and policy rules let an agent move fast without bypassing governance. — Jayashree Arunkumar, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026 Whether Adobe strikes ArtCraft down or Anthropic installs more guardrails onto its models to prevent reverse engineering, AI is here to stay, and so are AI apps. — Ruben Circelli, PC Magazine, 29 Oct. 2026 Ford also said the federal government should form a commission to advise a new regulatory agency on guardrails for AI development. — Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for guardrail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guardrail
Noun
  • Each piece will be 60-feet by 30-feet, with traffic lanes and concrete railings included.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Many of the historic elements, like the original doors and staircase railings, remain and add to the charm of the property.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • New high-speed rail corridors are running parallel to the existing coastal lines.
    — Ningrong Liu, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Now there are rails suspended from the ceiling and an honest-to-goodness cash register in the front, with dressing rooms and more standing racks in the back half of the space, totaling 940 square feet.
    — Max Berlinger, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Guardrail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guardrail. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster