road

noun

ˈrōd How to pronounce road (audio)
Definition of roadnext
1
as in highway
a passage cleared for public vehicular travel I think we should take one of the less congested roads

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in railroad
a roadway overlaid with parallel steel rails over which trains travel the railway companies are continually repairing their roads

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 road Scott was also open to reconsidering current plans to build new roads in the national park and improve or use existing roads instead, according to Sheriff Ronny Dodson of Brewster County, where the national park is located. — Ashley Killough, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026 Police said the roads were expected to remain closed for several hours. — Richard Ramos, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026 Pan argued that the increase paid for necessary road repairs. — Naomi Taxay, Sacbee.com, 18 Aug. 2026 In terms of carbon dioxide emissions and air pollution, the rule will be the equivalent of taking 400,000 cars off the road each year. — Blanca Begert, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for road
Recent Examples of Synonyms for road
  1. highway
  2. railroad
  3. street
  4. railway
  5. thoroughfare
  6. freeway
  7. route
  8. expressway
Noun
  • Jerusalem — The giant billboard on Tel Aviv’s main highway placed Turkey squarely at the center of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s election campaign.
    — Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
  • According to highway safety experts, many injuries in such crashes involve passengers being ejected from cars through moonroofs.
    — Marco Della Cava, Robb Report, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of highway
Noun
  • Perez says Atlantic City was becoming a popular summer resort, and the idea for the first wooden walkway all started with keeping sand out of railroad cars and hotels.
    — Ryan Hughes, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • While the railroads take sides on the issue, some lawmakers have sought to sway the STB into rejecting the megamerger.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of railroad
Noun
  • Weeks before the war, Iranians took to the streets to protest rising costs and inflation.
    — Leila Gharagozlou, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Among the changes needed on the city’s streets was the welding of more than 200 manhole covers to ensure the race cars don’t suck them up off the road.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of street
Noun
  • The railway, a national historic landmark, also operates an immersive museum in Ely for those who want a deeper dive.
    — Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The project has three principal railway lines, with the core being Line Z that has been operating since December 2023.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of railway
Noun
  • Not bad for a story which begins with a waiter crossing a busy Los Angeles thoroughfare, and placing some Japanese-Peruvian fusion fare in a lift.
    — Nick Scott, Robb Report, 22 Aug. 2026
  • According to the county, road improvements are coming for some of the thoroughfares near Boca Lago.
    — Abigail Hasebroock, Sun Sentinel, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of thoroughfare
Noun
  • The parking lot is west of Magnolia Avenue and just north of the interchange of the 91 and 5 freeways.
    — Nathaniel Percy, Oc Register, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Living in Southern California, my car is usually too loud for speakerphone calls on the freeway, but these completely solve that problem by directing crystal-clear audio right to my ears.
    — Scott Kramer, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of freeway
Noun
  • The train began blocking the crossing on Tuesday morning, forcing drivers to find alternate routes.
    — Terell Bailey, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The narrow, 50-mile artificial waterway cuts through the Central American country, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and saving time and fuel along the shorter transit route.
    — Hira Humayun, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of route
Noun
  • The driver is also alleged to have made a U-turn from a through lane after exiting the expressway, according to the affidavit.
    — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Directed by Takahiro Hasui, the latest installment in the franchise tracks Conan Edogawa investigating high-speed vehicular sabotage on an expressway network.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of expressway

Phrases Containing road

Browse Nearby Words

roaches
road
roadblock
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Road.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/road. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on road

Nglish: Translation of road for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of tilde

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All