path

noun

ˈpath How to pronounce path (audio)
Definition of pathnext
1
as in route
the direction along which something or someone moves try to stay out of the path of the golf balls while playing I tripped over a rock directly in my path

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in trail
a rough course or way formed by or as if by repeated footsteps a path worn through the library lawn by too many people walking over it

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in road
an established course for traveling from one place to another the path along which ancient traders traveled from Europe to China was known as the Silk Road

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 path Over the course of two long and decorated MLB careers — which includes Heyward’s five Gold Gloves, Freeman’s 10 All-Star selections, and five World Series rings between the two of them — their paths diverged and reconnected multiple times. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026 The wire is intended to provide a safe path for electricity to travel to earth in the event of a fault or surge. — Annie Martin, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2026 As for Jensen’s shot, Antonin Kinsky parried it into the path of Vitaly Janelt. — Stuart James, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 For women over 50, finding a clear path forward in health and wellness can feel challenging. — Nia Bowers, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for path
Recent Examples of Synonyms for path
  1. route
  2. trail
  3. road
  4. way
  5. pathway
  6. approach
  7. trajectory
  8. footpath
Noun
  • Check the requirement, confirm the route, draft the plan, or ask one better question.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Together, Jaybush, Brad Chambers, and the American Heavy Moving team figured out a route through the city that avoided street trees, tight turns, and roads that run above old, fragile sewer pipes, which aren’t rated for heavy loads.
    — Nicola Twilley, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of route
Noun
  • Seeking a way to maintain the trails, the Copleys decided to rely on foot traffic from hikers to keep down vegetation.
    — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 28 Aug. 2026
  • These trails form when aircraft engine emissions encounter extremely cold air found at high altitudes, causing tiny ice particles to develop.
    — Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of trail
Noun
  • Authorities on Wednesday pre-emptively announced that roads leading to the port would be closed to non-emergency vehicles for seven days, according to state media.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Under the new collective bargaining agreement, each NHL team must sign a permanent emergency backup who will be at every home game and travel with the team to all road games (like a bullpen catcher in Major League Baseball).
    — Michael Russo, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of road
Noun
  • But even as the culture seems fairly concerned with the way famous women look, and the impact these images have on young girls and teenagers, the conversation around men and their body image has been lean.
    — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Much of rising demand reflects a shift in the way AI systems are consuming AI compute, particularly as the use of agentic AI becomes more widespread, Huang explained.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of way
Noun
  • Students can explore pathways in agricultural business, agricultural science, animal science, forestry and natural resources, ornamental horticulture, plant and soil science, agricultural technologies and advancements, and agricultural mechanics.
    — Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Still, the administration late Monday filed a motion asking that the second hold be removed, and has posted new regulations from the Postal Service that would go into effect Tuesday if the legal pathway is fully cleared.
    — Nicholas Riccardi, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of pathway
Noun
  • Ultimately, Bessent’s approach is likely to fail, said Peter Boockvar, chief investment officer of One Point BFG Wealth Partners and editor of The Boock Report newsletter.
    — Brian Cheung, NBC news, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Finally, regarding Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey, his tone has skewed dovish in recent months, favoring a wait-and-see approach to the impact of the Middle East conflict.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of approach
Noun
  • At 27, considering his Hall of Fame trajectory, Jefferson’s goals are understandably lofty.
    — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • At a postlaunch press conference, NASA officials noted that the performance of the rocket that took the telescope to space was so picture-perfect that Roman will likely need fewer trajectory adjustments than planned.
    — Lee Billings, Scientific American, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of trajectory
Noun
  • Take the paved footpath behind Zori past olive groves to reach the ACI Marina, its restaurants and the taxi boats that take you to Hvar Town and the notoriously hedonistic beach club, Carpe Diem, on the neighboring island of Marinkovac.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Cultivating tradition Hours down a narrow, mountainous footpath, Reynalda García Juárez is tending to those roots, quite literally.
    — Alfredo Sosa, Christian Science Monitor, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of footpath

Phrases Containing path

Browse Nearby Words

pates
path
pathbreaking
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Path.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/path. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on path

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about path

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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

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

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
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
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All