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
Bhaskar Chakravorti, Fortune, 7 June 2026
So, the team factored in things like uneven rails, warped tables, inconsistent rebounds, power supply dips, and camera latency.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 7 June 2026
Long screws pass through these rails, holding the cabinet to the wall.
—Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 6 June 2026
This is where this game finally goes off the Weird and Wild rails.
—Jayson Stark, New York Times, 5 June 2026
The meeting went off the rails when Pelley, a 50-year veteran journalist, began peppering Bilton with questions and accused Weiss of destroying the show’s sterling reputation.
—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 3 June 2026
What holds it all together (through eight of the 10 episodes, at least, which is all that were provided for review and exactly when the narrative threatens to go off the rails) is Javier Bardem.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 3 June 2026
Starring RuPaul's Drag Race favorites Ginger Minj, Jujubee, Brooke Lynn Hytes, Marcia Marcia Marcia, Symone and more, the hilarious comedy follows two stewardesses racing to save a high-speed train when a catastrophic storm threatens to send it off the rails.
—Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026
The locomotive gets going again on the rails on Thursday.
—Noel Brennan, CBS News, 3 June 2026
Noun
And these payment systems ride rails already clearing at huge scale.
—Bhaskar Chakravorti, Fortune, 7 June 2026
So, the team factored in things like uneven rails, warped tables, inconsistent rebounds, power supply dips, and camera latency.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 7 June 2026
Long screws pass through these rails, holding the cabinet to the wall.
—Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 6 June 2026
This is where this game finally goes off the Weird and Wild rails.
—Jayson Stark, New York Times, 5 June 2026
The meeting went off the rails when Pelley, a 50-year veteran journalist, began peppering Bilton with questions and accused Weiss of destroying the show’s sterling reputation.
—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 3 June 2026
What holds it all together (through eight of the 10 episodes, at least, which is all that were provided for review and exactly when the narrative threatens to go off the rails) is Javier Bardem.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 3 June 2026
Starring RuPaul's Drag Race favorites Ginger Minj, Jujubee, Brooke Lynn Hytes, Marcia Marcia Marcia, Symone and more, the hilarious comedy follows two stewardesses racing to save a high-speed train when a catastrophic storm threatens to send it off the rails.
—Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026
The locomotive gets going again on the rails on Thursday.
—Noel Brennan, CBS News, 3 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rails
Noun
-
The creations Brown makes are permanent, intended to be part of outdoor architecture of the property, such as hand railings atop a natural fence of wood, gazebos and pergolas and gates.—
Emily M. Olson,
Hartford Courant,
6 June 2026
-
Accessibility There is an accessible Windward and Leeward Pavilion, both of which have wide doors, fully accessible bathrooms, hand railings, and lowered sinks to allow for wheelchair access.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Rainwater tends to stockpile on the edges of roads.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
12 June 2026
-
Such incidents involving multiple cyclists are rare in the Netherlands, where bicycle riding is woven into everyday life and almost all roads have dedicated cycle lanes.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 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
-
In a sentencing memorandum in the federal case, a defense attorney said Rhone was born in Houston to a man who fathered 27 children with at least three wives while working as an explosives expert building railroads.—
Karen Kucher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 June 2026
-
Some railroads went out of business.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
10 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
-
Squamish Once shaped by logging, railways, and port activity, Squamish has evolved into an outdoor hub for climbers and mountain bikers.—
Vivian Chung,
Travel + Leisure,
7 June 2026
-
In conjunction with its strategic partner, the Spanish state railways Renfe, Leo Express is hoping to continue expanding its commercial routes in 2026 and beyond.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rails. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
