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
Relevance
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
Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2025
With the match feeling ready to veer off the rails, European vice captain Edoardo Molinari and Mike Raby, the referee assigned to the match, were seen having lengthy discussions about how to retain order.
—Brendan Quinn, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2025
The result is that the locomotives have extreme traction even on steep slopes, where conventional wheels on rails would slip backward.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 25 Sep. 2025
Gone were the dark bars and cigar dens, replaced postwar by suitably mid-century alleys with shiny chrome bumper rails.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 24 Sep. 2025
And further options, including a snorkel, winches, lights, and storage solutions to mount to the roof and side accessory rails, only enhance the impression that the Quartermaster belongs in the dirt.
—Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 24 Sep. 2025
Elsewhere, though, everything is going off the rails — or, from Cipher’s point of view, going to plan.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2025
The technology has come a long way, but if banks, asset managers and fintechs are truly going to run on-chain, then the rails need to perform like core financial plumbing.
—Annabelle Huang, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
Vronsky now, when looking at the smooth movement of the wheels over the rails, will always see her face.
—Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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
With the match feeling ready to veer off the rails, European vice captain Edoardo Molinari and Mike Raby, the referee assigned to the match, were seen having lengthy discussions about how to retain order.
—Brendan Quinn, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2025
The result is that the locomotives have extreme traction even on steep slopes, where conventional wheels on rails would slip backward.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 25 Sep. 2025
Gone were the dark bars and cigar dens, replaced postwar by suitably mid-century alleys with shiny chrome bumper rails.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 24 Sep. 2025
And further options, including a snorkel, winches, lights, and storage solutions to mount to the roof and side accessory rails, only enhance the impression that the Quartermaster belongs in the dirt.
—Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 24 Sep. 2025
Elsewhere, though, everything is going off the rails — or, from Cipher’s point of view, going to plan.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2025
The technology has come a long way, but if banks, asset managers and fintechs are truly going to run on-chain, then the rails need to perform like core financial plumbing.
—Annabelle Huang, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
Vronsky now, when looking at the smooth movement of the wheels over the rails, will always see her face.
—Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rails
Noun
-
Six of its wooden bridges, stairs, signs, hand railings and an observation deck were destroyed in the 2008 Basin Complex Fire.—
Paul Rogers,
Mercury News,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Some perky-looking musical notes, in brass, were affixed to railings.—
D. T. Max,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Hydroplaning happens when a vehicle starts sliding uncontrollably on wet roads.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Rainwater tends to stockpile on the edges of roads.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
4 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
-
Gargantuan spending on data centers, chips, and new models has prompted wary comparisons to past capital-spending booms, from railroads to fiber-optic cables, that built magical and ultimately useful things but ended in tears for those writing the checks.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
23 Sep. 2025
-
Zuckerberg pointed to past bubbles, namely railroads and the dot-com bubble, as key examples of infrastructure buildouts leading to a stock-market collapse.—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
See Model Trains If your interests lean toward railways and miniatures, Hendersonville has the place for you.—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Another top read from Michael Cox, who decided to write about the role Britain’s railways played in the rise of football’s popularity.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rails. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share