horseless carriage

noun

Definition of horseless carriagenext
as in car
a self-propelled passenger vehicle on four wheels with the coming of the horseless carriage, distances between places were greatly reduced and the national landscape was transformed

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 horseless carriage The company made royal coaches for monarchs in Europe and England, and had just begun building electric horseless carriages. — Bob Sorokanich, Robb Report, 26 July 2024 Uriah Smith thought that sticking a horse head on the front of a horseless carriage would prevent horses from getting upset upon seeing one. — Larry Printz, Ars Technica, 4 Oct. 2023 Ferdinand Porsche first put them in a prototype horseless carriage in 1900. — WIRED, 3 Oct. 2023 Vermont actually passed a law that required a person to walk in front of a car, waving a red flag — presumably to warn any passersby to not get too close to the horseless carriage. — Bryan Walsh, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018 See All Example Sentences for horseless carriage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horseless carriage
  1. car
  2. bus
  3. automobile
  4. machine
  5. wheels
Noun
  • Much of China’s recent export strength is driven by high-tech goods like batteries, electric cars and solar.
    — Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 30 July 2026
  • This half-day excursion offers direct round-trip transportation from downtown Louisville to the historic Frankfort distillery, removing the need for a car or rideshare.
    — Emily Price, Forbes.com, 30 July 2026
Definition of car
Noun
  • Those policies include reducing the 40-hour week to a 32-hour week, increasing the minimum wage from $15 an hour to $30 an hour, instituting Medicare for All and the Green New Deal and providing free buses and free child care.
    — Dave Anderson, Baltimore Sun, 26 July 2026
  • Around 30 people were injured in the crash between a civilian bus and an Interior Ministry bus on the desert highway, the SANA news agency cited a health ministry official as saying.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 July 2026
Definition of bus
Noun
  • Kumamoto and other parts of the Kyushu region have increasingly become key production sites for automobiles and semiconductors, raising concerns over a possible hit to the economy.
    — USA Today, USA Today, 30 July 2026
  • Other businesses in economic sectors such as health, infrastructure and automobiles were forced to pay bribes and fees to companies linked to Khamenei and his family to continue to operate.
    — Natasha Lindstaedt, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of automobile
Noun
  • IJooz, the company operating the juice vending machine, filed a police report over the stunt and sanitized the dispenser while replacing all 500 straws in the machine.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 30 July 2026
  • Investigators believe contractors working near a high-voltage line for power-grid operator Enedis ignited the blaze while using a brush-cutting machine, Bordeaux prosecutor Renaud Gaudeul said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 July 2026
Definition of machine
Noun
  • Indeed, the Vienna rode quite well thanks to its larger wheels, fairly wide tires, and neutral geometry.
    — William Roberson, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • Make sure the tires reconnect with the road - During the skid, wait until the tires reconnect with the road and then gently straighten the wheels to regain control.
    — CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026
Definition of wheels

Browse Nearby Words

horselaughs
horseless carriage
horseless carriages
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Horseless carriage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horseless%20carriage. Accessed 31 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of comely

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All