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
Story’s time in Boston has been marked by setbacks, and this season has been the latest to go off the rails. Mac Cerullo, Hartford Courant, 28 June 2026 This helps improve compliance screening, reduce manual repair work and enhance interoperability across payment rails that were never designed to work together. Michael Salerno, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026 The graphics weren’t much at the time, but players fell in love with the anthropomorphic animals and the on-rails shooting mechanics. Jordan Moreau, Variety, 25 June 2026 But while crime on public transit is rare, a February Charlotte Observer investigation found violent incidents were more likely to occur on buses rather than light rails, and that bus drivers were especially vulnerable. Charlotte Observer, 25 June 2026 The first round of the draft was a remarkably on-the-rails affair. Sam Vecenie, New York Times, 24 June 2026 But a town in Murray County has one that's gone off its rails. John Lauritsen, CBS News, 18 June 2026 The scanning process starts with stepping onto a platform that drops down into the water on rails through a ring of thousands of transducers that create ultrasonic waves. Richard Lawler, The Verge, 18 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rails
Noun
  • Neusch saw a couple of the house’s fire-andys roll along the balcony, their extinguisher nozzles deployed over the railings, pumping clouds of viscous yellow retardant foam into the atrium.
    Jeff Spry, Space.com, 26 June 2026
  • The Huntington is back and truly better than ever with plenty of the early-day residential touches intact, including the lovely wrought iron railings on the staircases and mail slots in the hallways.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 June 2026
Noun
  • Several videos filmed in Simferopol, Crimea’s second city, and posted online show empty roads and public spaces.
    Zahra Ullah, CNN Money, 26 June 2026
  • Most access points are reached from the west side, coming through Meeker, and Grimes noted that despite the isolation, the gravel roads are well-maintained, meaning a passenger vehicle should get you to most trailheads.
    Jamie Siebrase, Denver Post, 26 June 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
  • The deal to triple Jomo Kenyatta International Airport’s passenger capacity cements Beijing’s grip on major infrastructure projects in East Africa’s largest economy, where its companies have built railroads, stadiums, and toll roads.
    Jenny Vaughan, semafor.com, 24 June 2026
  • The agency said losses incurred by the trucking industry, insurance companies and railroads exceed $10 billion annually nationwide, while the average loss associated with a cargo theft is about $225,000.
    Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 23 June 2026
Verb
  • At a time when a majority of the country disapproves of—or actively reviles—the president, his name alone could end up limiting the program’s success.
    Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026
Noun
  • In recent years Britain’s railways have had one of the world’s best safety records.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2026
  • Today, if an earthquake were to travel through the Cajon Pass and along both faults, scientists say the consequences would be severe and widespread, affecting critical infrastructure such as major highways, railways and energy corridors over several cities simultaneously.
    Kasha Patel, CNN Money, 19 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Rails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rails. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.

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