rails 1 of 2

plural of rail
1
as in railings
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 roads
a roadway overlaid with parallel steel rails over which trains travel an abandoned stretch of rail that was overgrown with brush

Synonyms & Similar Words

rails

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of rail

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 rails
Verb
Dealers are to replace the second-row seat rails, free of charge. James Powel, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025 Some of the safety rails are being gamed by users intent on finding workarounds. Bobby Allyn, NPR, 10 Oct. 2025 But according to Barkley, what transpired wasn’t the kind of players’ only meeting typically associated with teams whose seasons have gone off the rails. Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025 There are also pieces from her fall 2025 collection on the rails. Hikmat Mohammed, Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2025 As such, some form of seating will likely be optioned in to accommodate one or two kids – perhaps with protection rails and footrests as well. New Atlas, 6 Oct. 2025 Both parks feature The Simpsons Ride, a motion simulator attraction that follows a 3D-version of the titular family as their visit to Krustyland goes off the rails. Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Oct. 2025 When adversity mounts, when the negativity starts peaking, when a season seems poised to head off the rails, Harbaugh has shown an ability to keep everything on track. Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025 Stripe brings fraud prevention, global payment rails, and a vast merchant network, making the new Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP) usable by millions of businesses right out of the gate. Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rails
Noun
  • Add a string of outdoor lights to porch railings to illuminate your backyard landscaping and decorations on any crisp fall night.
    Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Oct. 2025
  • 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
Noun
  • Hydroplaning is the term for when a vehicle begins sliding uncontrollably on wet roads.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 12 Oct. 2025
  • Rainwater tends to stockpile on the edges of roads.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 11 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • And his ultimate war is with Bob, a tech CEO who rants about his haters and has gotten rich off rebranded snake oil and whose obvious corruption has been obscured by his self-mythologizing.
    Alison Willmore, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025
  • One grumbles when the driver rants about development’s ravages.
    Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 10 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Companies built railroads to connect the region to the national market, developed industrial coal mines and reshaped the central Appalachian economy.
    The Conversation, The Conversation, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Advertisement Americans once broke up railroads, reined in banks, and forced telecom to open its networks.
    Asad Ramzanali, Time, 6 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The campaign will be complemented by a series of store pop-ups designed as an homage to British railways and house founder Thomas Burberry.
    Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Unlike the bus, trolley and railways systems, the city owned the El, short for elevated, line and subway.
    Menika Dirkson, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Rails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rails. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.

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