subway

noun

sub·​way ˈsəb-ˌwā 

: an underground way: such as

a

: a passage under a street (as for pedestrians, power cables, or water or gas mains)

b

: a usually electric underground railway

c

: underpass

subway intransitive verb

Examples of subway in a Sentence

I took the subway to midtown.

No one on the subway seemed to mind how crowded it was.

I've been on both the New York subway and the Underground in London.

Recent Examples on the Web

Hawkers cannot solicit, negotiate or sell tickets or anything on parkland, which includes the subway station plazas and the sidewalks. — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 28 Oct. 2026

On May 1, 2023, an unhoused Black man named Jordan Neely boarded the New York City subway. — Tonya Mosley, NPR, 28 Oct. 2026

Anyone who has taken the subway has likely come across Arts & Design’s most popular program, Poetry in Motion, which pairs poems with artwork. — James Folta, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2026

Mbappé's face has appeared in ads across China, from subway stations to inside elevators. — ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1822, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing subway

• subway train

Rhymes for subway

• airway
• allay
• archway
• array
• ashtray
• assez
• astray
• aue
• away
• ballet
• belay
• beltway

Kids Definition

subway

noun

sub·​way ˈsəb-ˌwā 

1

: an underground passage

2

: a usually electric underground railway