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 His priorities if given another four years were public safety, better roads and lower taxes. — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Nov. 2026 Mauldin, chair of the city’s Planning Commission and an employee of the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, emphasized responsible growth, affordable housing and improvements to roads, public transit and utilities. — Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026 As much as half a foot of water collected along the roads in that area. — Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 3 Nov. 2026 Included in the order is a provision allowing local supervisors of elections in affected areas to designate new polling places for sites that are unsafe or where voters can’t get to them because the roads are blocked due to flooding. — Roger Simmons, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Nov. 2026 Around Pagosa Springs, floodwaters have washed out roads and left residents isolated. — Brian Maass, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026 Response teams are battling armed conflict, poor roads and violence from residents fueled by mistrust and misinformation. — ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026 Ford's BlueCruise allows hands-free driving on compatible roads, but drivers must continue paying attention. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026 Production environments weren’t built for human forms any more than roads built for horses meant cars should have four legs. — Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 27 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for roads
  1. highways
  2. railroads
  3. streets
  4. railways
  5. thoroughfares
  6. freeways
  7. routes
  8. expressways
Noun
  • If El Niño brings storms that damage the road again, history suggests Caltrans will fix it, seemingly stuck in an endless loop of patchwork repairs for one of California’s most challenging mountain highways to maintain.
    — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026
  • For example, campaign workers must remove signs placed within sight of state highways within 10 days after an election.
    — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of highways
Noun
  • As a percentage of America’s gross domestic product, that would outpace every other investment boom in modern US history – including the construction of the railroads.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Despite its name, the Railroad Commission of Texas does not regulate trains or railroads.
    — Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of railroads
Noun
  • After the raids ramped up in January, tens of thousands of former workers ended up in the capital, Phnom Penh, many sleeping in the streets.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Angelenos yearn for safer streets, an end to homelessness, a renewal of the dreamland that the city has represented for more than a century.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of streets
Noun
  • Tanzania and Angola have agreed to connect railways serving ports on opposite coasts of Africa, Tanzania’s president said.
    — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The reputation of the Spanish railways already was tarnished when 46 people died in January after one train jumped the track and slammed into the side of another going the opposite way in southern Spain.
    — Joseph Wilson, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of railways
Noun
  • During the protests, also known as Occupy Central, demonstrators occupied major thoroughfares for 79 days in an ultimately unsuccessful push for direct election for the city’s leader.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Major traffic disruptions are anticipated along key thoroughfares, including Northwest 87th Avenue and Northwest 36th Street.
    — Manuel Bojorquez, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of thoroughfares
Noun
  • McKinney would prioritize public safety and vows to go after demonstrators who block freeways or engage in conduct similar to the 2024 pro-Palestine encampments on UCLA’s campus.
    — Times staff, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026
  • There are special rules for temporary political signs placed within 660 feet or visible from highways and certain freeways.
    — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of freeways
Noun
  • Service animals are welcome, and routes throughout the resort are designed for ease of movement.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Nov. 2026
  • The guide had understood his skill level and showed him routes that were hard for him, but possible.
    — Merritt Tierce, New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of routes
Noun
  • The center sits near the Dolphin and Palmetto expressways and Interstate 95, adjacent to the Waterford Blue Lagoon Business District.
    — Luisa Yanez, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Bikes are not allowed to on freeways or expressways, and cyclists cannot pass through tolls unless the signs nearby dictate otherwise.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 31 Aug. 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 9 Nov. 2026.

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