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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rails
Sam Lee, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Step stools, toilet seats, bottle warmers and cribs with bed rails are available upon request, while ARAME offers a children’s menu all day.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
With the Iran war continuing to strangle Middle East oil supplies, public transit agencies looking to add passengers might expect high gas prices to incentivize people to ride the rails more than ever.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
The story follows a seemingly simple blind date that goes wildly, and painfully, off the rails, setting off a chain reaction among a tightly wound group of friends and family members.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
If Best built the rails, Neuhaus is trying to convince filmmakers to actually get on the train.
—Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 22 Apr. 2026
Riding the rails from Chicago to Louisiana or Alabama was an under-appreciated act of collective courage and, given the Pullman Porters’ crucial role in the building of the civil rights movement, pivotal to Black progress.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2026
This prototype’s appears flat under the vinyl, unlike the coupe’s, which has a scalloped center and raised side rails.
—Byron Hurd, The Drive, 16 Apr. 2026
Defenseman Mario Ferraro and center Michael Misa both scored before everything went off the rails for the San Jose Sharks, who had trouble managing the puck, got some spotty goaltending, and allowed five unanswered goals in a 5-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday at the United Center.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
Noun
Going off the rails Everything went downhill after that win at Forest.
—Sam Lee, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Step stools, toilet seats, bottle warmers and cribs with bed rails are available upon request, while ARAME offers a children’s menu all day.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
With the Iran war continuing to strangle Middle East oil supplies, public transit agencies looking to add passengers might expect high gas prices to incentivize people to ride the rails more than ever.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
The story follows a seemingly simple blind date that goes wildly, and painfully, off the rails, setting off a chain reaction among a tightly wound group of friends and family members.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
If Best built the rails, Neuhaus is trying to convince filmmakers to actually get on the train.
—Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 22 Apr. 2026
Riding the rails from Chicago to Louisiana or Alabama was an under-appreciated act of collective courage and, given the Pullman Porters’ crucial role in the building of the civil rights movement, pivotal to Black progress.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2026
This prototype’s appears flat under the vinyl, unlike the coupe’s, which has a scalloped center and raised side rails.
—Byron Hurd, The Drive, 16 Apr. 2026
Defenseman Mario Ferraro and center Michael Misa both scored before everything went off the rails for the San Jose Sharks, who had trouble managing the puck, got some spotty goaltending, and allowed five unanswered goals in a 5-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday at the United Center.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rails
Noun
-
On the block in Edison Park where Bartholomew lived, neighbors and a crew of their young children tied blue ribbons on trees and railings Sunday morning.—
Talia Soglin,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Neighborhood gossip delivers revelations; seemingly minor matters involving porch railings swell into arguments about social justice.—
Sheldon Pearce,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Tying our long-term ability to fund roads exclusively to fuel consumption no longer reflects how Americans travel.—
Andrew Stasiowski,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Nearly every waterway in Cheboygan County has overflowed its banks, with Black Lake, the Cheboygan River and other waterways inundating docks, roads, yards and nearby homes.—
Sarah Brumfield,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
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
-
Norfolk Southern is working with Union Pacific to update its application to merge that the railroads plan to submit next Thursday.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Durango, Holyoke and Granby are just three of many towns created directly as a result of railroads.—
Allen Best,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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His missions involved strafing the German ground transportation system, including railways, roads and fuel depots, with on-board machine guns.—
Laura Ness,
Mercury News,
19 Apr. 2026
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The company thrived with its connection to the Hudson River in Manhattan; to the Erie Canal and the country's growing network of railways.—
Nancy Cutler,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rails. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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