rail 1 of 2

1
as in railing
a protective barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and its supports the stairs are icy, so hold onto the rail

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in road
a roadway overlaid with parallel steel rails over which trains travel an abandoned stretch of rail that was overgrown with brush

Synonyms & Similar Words

rail

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb rail differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of rail are berate, revile, scold, upbraid, and vituperate. While all these words mean "to reproach angrily and abusively," rail (at or against) stresses an unrestrained berating.

railed loudly at their insolence

When could berate be used to replace rail?

In some situations, the words berate and rail are roughly equivalent. However, berate suggests prolonged and often abusive scolding.

berated continually by an overbearing boss

When is it sensible to use revile instead of rail?

While the synonyms revile and rail are close in meaning, revile implies a scurrilous, abusive attack prompted by anger or hatred.

an alleged killer reviled in the press

When is scold a more appropriate choice than rail?

The words scold and rail can be used in similar contexts, but scold implies rebuking in irritation or ill temper justly or unjustly.

angrily scolding the children

When would upbraid be a good substitute for rail?

The words upbraid and rail are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, upbraid implies censuring on definite and usually justifiable grounds.

upbraided her assistants for poor research

In what contexts can vituperate take the place of rail?

The synonyms vituperate and rail are sometimes interchangeable, but vituperate suggests a violent reviling.

was vituperated for betraying his friends

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 rail
Noun
And there’s plenty of bad out there — including a news story about a faulty railing giving way and causing a woman’s death. Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025 Independent redistricting advocates have railed against politically skewed voting districts designed to benefit one political party, describing such gerrymandering as a way to distort election outcomes by letting politicians choose their voters instead of the other way around. Clara Hendrickson, Freep.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Verb
Some rail systems have resorted to extreme tactics to keep people from riding on top of trains. Dave Smith, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2025 The linen blend textile feels casually elegant and the grommet rail line ensures the drapes will move smoothly on any rod. Shoko Wanger, Architectural Digest, 6 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rail
Noun
  • Last but not least, the home features the coziest front porch, complete with eye-catching front and side railings, that can be transformed into the perfect space for unwinding with outdoor furniture, a porch swing, a set of string lights, and a stylish doormat, of course.
    Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 6 Oct. 2025
  • The design takes its cues from the railings of a balcony.
    Hikmat Mohammed, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Nearby roads and highways were closed to allow fire crews access to the area.
    Charles Ventura, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
  • There is a road closure on US-69 between NW Platte Road and MO-9.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • TikTok user @shotmyheartwithnovacaine posted a video in July ranting about how people dress when going to concerts to her 137K followers.
    Laney Crawley, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2025
  • No need to rant and rave at the AI about its code generation.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The Apple Valley Model Railroad Museum has an enormous (22 feet by 100 feet) model railroad built in a picturesque Western North Carolina landscape.
    Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Dating back to the the 1800s, the historic railroad is a fun, endearing way to explore the mountains—and a quintessential slice of Americana—all at one time.
    Acacia Gabriel, Travel + Leisure, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Predictably, Khomeini fulminated about Carter’s visit.
    Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
  • As for fighting the Trump pressure campaign, even politicians as ambitious as Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker are mostly left to file lawsuits — and fulminate.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 5 May 2025
Noun
  • The move comes as the US backs the Lobito Corridor project, a rival railway upgrade in the southwest of the continent, which will refurbish train lines that connect Angola’s Atlantic coast to resource-rich DR Congo, as well as Zambia.
    Preeti Jha, semafor.com, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Mahama worked with a team to complete this project, unloading four trucks of scrap metal, tirelessly extracting the matter, and disassembling railway cars.
    Edna Bonhomme, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Resorting to an omnibus is now common, even though it is reviled by many rank-and-file lawmakers who resent being deprived of the ability to resist individual spending provisions without derailing the sole vehicle for averting a shutdown.
    Lazaro Gamio, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Strapped for resources and now actively reviled and threatened by their government, theaters and producers are pouncing on opportunities to lay out a little less money or to spend on one big name in the hopes of clawing their way out of the red.
    Sara Holdren, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Rail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rail. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

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