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

Kids were spray-painting impressive murals on the sides of buildings and the bodies of subway cars. — Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026

The latter has particularly campaigned this season and has built huge buzz with the format, which sees celebrities and civilians give hot takes on the New York subway. — Peter White, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2026

While the biggest shelter in Kuopio can fit 7,000 people, Ukrainians sometimes only have a few minutes to run to a subway station or underground parking lot. — Emma Burrows, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2026

The incident took place near West 41st Street and Seventh Avenue, where Cisneros allegedly approached a 68-year-old man who had just left the subway and was standing with his wife. — Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 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