subway

noun

sub·​way ˈsəb-ˌwā How to pronounce subway (audio)
Synonyms of subwaynext
: 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
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.
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 Just last week, 65-year-old Lydia Zuniga’s leg was broken in three places after a mentally ill stranger shoved her onto the tracks at a Bronx subway station in an unprovoked attack. — Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 31 Aug. 2026 Chicago subway stations are among the first sights many tourists see upon arriving in the city. — Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026 Ground surveys can provide more detailed information at a particular site, but covering an entire subway corridor that way would be difficult. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for subway

Word History

First Known Use

1822, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of subway was in 1822

Phrases Containing subway

Rhymes for subway

See All Rhymes for subway

Browse Nearby Words

subwater
subway
subway train
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Subway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subway. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

subway

noun
sub·​way ˈsəb-ˌwā How to pronounce subway (audio)
1
: an underground passage
2
: a usually electric underground railway

More from Merriam-Webster on subway

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for subway

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about subway

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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