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
The Out-Of-Control Spiraling Here’s where things can go off the rails. Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025 Where to Stay While your suite aboard Le Grand Tour is lavish, with plush linens, en-suite bathrooms, and panoramic windows, the train itself feels like a historic five-star hotel on rails. Jennifer Schwartz, Travel + Leisure, 31 Aug. 2025 The boom has long passed and the route is now plied by the Ferrobús, which vaguely resembles a coach on rails and follows a truncated route between Oruro and the town of Villazón on the Argentine border. The Editors, Outside, 31 Aug. 2025 Double-edge support rails won’t sink in, making getting out of bed more comfortable. Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 29 Aug. 2025 Russ is now at the helm to oversee the closeout of an agency that long ago went off the rails. Emily Goodin, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2025 Contact-free power rails guarantee 24/7 uptime, according to TZ Group. Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 10 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rails
Noun
  • The project will also include ADA-compliant curb ramps, new posts with pedestrian push buttons and posts, pedestrian barricades, protective railings and traffic striping.
    Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025
  • In a demonstration of the technology, one of the grippers was installed on the top of a quadcopter drone, allowing the aircraft to hang from tree branches, railings, etc instead of having to hover in place.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 23 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • That land doesn't include the subdivisions, schools, roads and infrastructure needed to sustain the giant development.
    Vivian Jones, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
  • The effects of the massive storm could destroy dunes, threaten beachfront houses and flood roads.
    Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • One grumbles when the driver rants about development’s ravages.
    Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 10 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • In the former camp, the construction of railroads and roads, particularly in Asia, improved connectivity and commercial links between China and its neighbors for travel and trade.
    Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2025
  • Primus said the biggest problems in the industry are the lack of growth and poor service after all the deep cuts railroads have made over the last decade in the interest of efficiency and improving profitability.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Eastern & Oriental Express, Southeast Asia Bullet trains aren’t the only railways worth traveling on in Asia, especially where Belmond is concerned.
    Ann Shields, AFAR Media, 26 Aug. 2025
  • The Britannic Explorer, the first luxury sleeper train to tour through England and Wales, made its inaugural journey in late July, marking a new milestone for British railways.
    Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Rails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rails. Accessed 5 Sep. 2025.

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