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
Noun
The American brand founded by sisters-in-law Veronica Swanson Beard and Veronica Miele Beard is moving into a 270-square-foot space fitted with picture frame moldings, curved brass hanging rails and a travertine table that wouldn’t look out of space in a Parisian interior. Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 11 Nov. 2025 Cribs, pack-n-plays, high chairs, and bed rails are standard offerings at most family-friendly properties. Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 10 Nov. 2025 Beyond installing coils or rails, the process requires road resurfacing, upgraded power lines, and new grid interface points. Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 8 Nov. 2025 Rising from each track was a metal tower, and connecting those towers was another perpendicular track of sorts, with a machine sliding across its rails from side to side. Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 8 Nov. 2025 Hindsight is 20/20, especially when a year goes off the rails. Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 8 Nov. 2025 The difference was day and night, a sleeker, profile with a deeper-V hull and widened spray rails, along with extensive soundproofing for a quieter interior. Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 7 Nov. 2025 The wood-free Hyper Core composite walls are finished in automotive grade aluminum outer panels framed out via 11-gauge aluminum corner rails, protecting the trailer from low branches and flying debris. New Atlas, 4 Nov. 2025 The year the ban lifted, Trier became the country’s national champion, specializing in rugged stunts using infrastructure like rails and stairs. Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rails
Noun
  • In recent months, Friends of Coast Walk Trail shepherded a project in partnership with the city of San Diego to install new decking and railings for the old wooden bridge and repairs to the south stairs, which were completed in September.
    Ashley Mackin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Markwood, 20, went over the railings during the seventh inning of the game at PNC Park on April 30.
    Kirsty Hatcher, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Hydroplaning occurs when a vehicle begins to slide uncontrollably on wet roads.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Now the roads and sidewalks are open, and life is being breathed back into both the small business community and the city, Hoiosen told the Idaho Statesman.
    Rose Evans November 8, Idaho Statesman, 8 Nov. 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
  • In the late 19th century, in the wake of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, Japanese immigrants began arriving in California in search of opportunity, enticed by the promise of employment with mining companies, agricultural producers, and railroads.
    Equal Justice Initiative, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
  • At the time, the STB ended up approving that $31 billion takeover largely due to the small size of KCS, with the merging companies remaining the smallest of the Class I North American railroads.
    Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 31 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Roads and railways have been damaged and power disrupted in several areas.
    Helen Regan, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
  • The terminal operator aims to enhance the port’s capacity and capabilities with state-of-the-art container and liquid cargo-handling infrastructure, while strengthening multimodal connectivity with India’s major railways and inland infrastructure.
    Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 4 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Rails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rails. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.

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