roads

noun

plural of road
1
as in highways
a passage cleared for public vehicular travel I think we should take one of the less congested roads

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in railroads
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 roads Drone footage shared by the city showed houses, vehicles and roads submerged in muddy floodwater. — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026 There are new protections to make roads safer around schools and school zones. — Ashley Portillo, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026 The street sweepers cleaned the ticker tape off the roads of Champions Way a month ago. — Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2026 In Islamabad, crowds gathered along major roads as fireworks illuminated the night sky. — ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026 Blankenship said the city has evacuated people from their homes after roads collapsed and flooded near Riley Road and South Memorial Drive, on the southwest side of New Castle. — Jen Guadarrama, IndyStar, 13 Aug. 2026 The remaining space is reserved for buildings, roads, and other infrastructure. — Jim Dobson, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026 That’s also the figure governments across South Florida rely on when adapting infrastructure like roads, or planning new ones. — Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026 Several of the roads were constructed with pedestrians in mind first, envisioning the fan march from the Landing to CPKC Stadium on match days. — Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 30 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for roads
  1. highways
  2. railroads
  3. streets
  4. railways
  5. thoroughfares
  6. freeways
  7. routes
  8. expressways
Noun
  • The said preserving the route keeps hundreds of heavy trucks loaded with hazardous materials off the Arrigoni bridge and state highways.
    — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Transportation investments can route highways, truck traffic and freight corridors through particular neighborhoods, which increases residents’ exposure to diesel particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide.
    — Mahbubur Meenar, The Conversation, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of highways
Noun
  • Expectations are also upbeat for Berkshire’s operating businesses, after peers in two of its biggest areas — property and casualty insurance and railroads — reported strong second-quarter results in recent weeks.
    — Yun Li, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2026
  • In the 19th century, railroads determined which cities prospered.
    — Ron Kitchens, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of railroads
Noun
  • And when interstates back up, the adjacent surface streets do, too.
    — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • The streets in Haitian neighborhoods of New York City have also been noticeably quieter.
    — Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of streets
Noun
  • The Central province was the hardest hit by that cyclone and the government is struggling to rebuild roads, railways and houses in the region.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Railway police officers prevent theft and trespassing on railroad properties, promote rail safety and investigate crimes committed on the railways, according to the statement.
    — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 July 2026
Definition of railways
Noun
  • For example, in the San Fernando Valley, a person could leave the car at home when in walking proximity to bus lines on major thoroughfares, such as Line 165 on Vanowen Street that connects Burbank to West Hills.
    — Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Towns were depopulated or abandoned altogether; farmland was left fallow; forests regrew; busy thoroughfares fell silent and grand villas derelict.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 July 2026
Definition of thoroughfares
Noun
  • While school traffic is largely confined to non-freeways, interstate traffic does impact the school commute.
    — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • The one-off 200-Ah 72-V battery pack is said to be suitable for spirited performance both in the city and on freeways.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of freeways
Noun
  • One of the alternative routes would reduce the project’s footprint in the Anza-Borrego Desert by about nine miles, and go through the community of Borrego Springs instead.
    — Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Gabriel’s routes to points are sensational, with eight goal involvements last season, plus earning defensive contribution points on 11 occasions and 30 bonus points.
    — Holly Shand, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of routes
Noun
  • Homicide data from the Illinois State Police, which patrols the city’s expressways, also is not included here.
    — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 26 May 2026
  • In November 2016, Santa Clara County voters approved Measure B, a 30-year, half-cent countywide sales tax to enhance transit, highways, expressways, and active transportation (bicycles, pedestrians, and complete streets).
    — Phan Khang, Mercury News, 18 May 2026
Definition of expressways

Browse Nearby Words

road rage
roads
roadstead
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Cite this Entry

“Roads.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roads. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of roads for Spanish Speakers

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