Thesaurus results for RAILS

rails 1 of 2

noun

plural of rail

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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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

as in rants

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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

That could include autonomous vehicles for shuttling materials and parts between workstations or robotic arms moving on rails along the length of a production line. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 17 Aug. 2026 In a further blow, Parini’s plans go right off the rails when Alistair has some bad news from London and leaves him in charge of the elderly, ailing Borges, then 72. — Damon Wise, Deadline, 16 Aug. 2026 Lamont over the past eight years has displayed visionary leadership and has adhered to Connecticut’s ‘fiscal guard rails’ rules limiting spending growth and directing surplus revenues toward reserves and pension debt. — Kevin McNabola, Hartford Courant, 16 Aug. 2026 Hathaway makes a meal of every moment, dialing her performance up to an 11 as the pulpy, erotic thriller goes deliriously off the rails. — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026 Bicycle-like velocipede rides along rails will be offered Saturday. — Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026 Walton’s sage and Forst losing his job are both signs the season has gone off the rails. — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 11 Aug. 2026 That infrastructure might end up running through crypto rails, traditional exchanges rebuilding themselves, or some mix of both. — Malana Vantyler, jsonline.com, 11 Aug. 2026 Extra beds, cots and bed rails are all available upon request, as well as touches to delight any little ones, including mini bathrobes, slippers and a selection of games and treats. — Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rails

Noun

Paper wasps build nests under eaves, benches and fence railings and will sting if disturbed.

— Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026
Mayor William Donald Schaefer reportedly worried that people would climb up and sit on railings, and that this was somehow riskier than an open edge.

— Joseph V. Sakran, Baltimore Sun, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of railings

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

Definition of rants

Noun

The Lobito Corridor is an economic artery comprised of ports, railways, processing facilities, and logistics hubs connecting the Angolan port of Lobito with the mineral-rich Katanga region of the DRC and northern Zambia.

— Ariel Cohen, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
More than 14 inches of rain fell in a 24-hour period in parts of Chiba, which sits east of Tokyo, overwhelming roads and railways during one of Japan's busiest holiday travel weeks.

— Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2026