1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

thruway

noun

ˈthrü-ˌwā How to pronounce thruway (audio)
Definition of thruwaynext
as in highway
a passage cleared for public vehicular travel we took back roads on the way out, and the thruway on the way back

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 thruway Morgan said the small, community roadways and thruways will remain troublesome for crews as more overnight freezing is expected due to the low, single-digit temperatures. — Jordan Green, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 26 Jan. 2026 The train will now operate seven daily round trips, which brings the service back to full strength, with connections available to several thruway bus routes. — Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 18 Dec. 2025 All lanes on the thruway at Pembroke were closed in the wake of the crash, which occurred eastbound on I-90. — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 22 Aug. 2025 On Saturday, parts of the New York thruway had been cleared but remained closed while Pennsylvania worked to clear its interstates in the region. — Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY, 2 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for thruway
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thruway
  1. highway
  2. freeway
  3. road
  4. expressway
  5. thoroughfare
  6. street
  7. route
  8. turnpike
Noun
  • Over the course of the holiday, just under a quarter of cars traveling on China’s highways were EVs — up 33% from a year earlier.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Russian outlet Izvestia reported on Sunday that Moscow is upgrading existing rail crossings and considering new highways to handle growing bilateral trade.
    — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of highway
Noun
  • Nam said the freeway portion of the network has been set, but the surface street portion of the network is still being worked out.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The vehicle traveled onto the freeway before re-entering the city, with the California Highway Patrol and the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office becoming involved in the chase.
    — Vince Basada, Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of freeway
Noun
  • Tariffs on cement, road salt and hospital pads were removed and replaced with duties on all-terrain vehicles, some cheeses and motorboats.
    — Steve Kopack, NBC news, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Some might be taken on the road and featured in live appearances, or at least have their stories recorded and included in campaign ads.
    — Cal Thomas, Arkansas Online, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of road
Noun
  • 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
  • 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
Definition of expressway
Noun
  • Two years later, Wong became one of the key leaders of the city’s Umbrella Movement protests that rallied thousands of predominantly young people to the streets to call for greater democracy by blocking major thoroughfares for 79 straight days.
    — Chris Lau, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026
  • At Aizomê, a stylish Japanese restaurant shrouded by a thick wall of trees just off São Paulo’s main thoroughfare, Avenida Paulista, the food is both recognizable to devotees of Japanese cuisine and distinctly Brazilian.
    — Tomé Morrissy-Swan, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of thoroughfare
Noun
  • Hundreds of people were getting killed every year at street-level crossings, and to quell the public outcry, the railroads scrambled to elevate freight tracks citywide at their own expense.
    — John Lippert, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Before the terrible day was over firehouses, street corners and parks became mourning places.
    — Robert W. Snyder, New York Daily News, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of street
Noun
  • Even though his only preseason success came on straight go balls that didn’t test his route running, coaches have professed faith in the 2025 third-round pick.
    — Chad Graff, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Yemeni government military sources said the Houthis had gained further leverage over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the southern outlet of the Red Sea and one of the world's most important shipping routes, and had reached the islands of Hanish.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of route
Noun
  • Multiple fans told the Miami Herald that Google Maps and Waze continued routing them toward closed roads/turnpike exits or the apps would fail to even generate a route to Miami Stadium.
    — Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 28 June 2026
  • Rubbernecking delays were also an issue on the other side of the turnpike, where a second crash happened nearby.
    — Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 25 June 2026
Definition of turnpike

Browse Nearby Words

thrusts
thruway
thruways
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Thruway.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thruway. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on thruway

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about thruway

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 quorum

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

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

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

'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

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
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
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All