roads

noun

plural of road
1
as in highways
a passage cleared for public vehicular travel I think we should take one of the less congested roads

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in railroads
a roadway overlaid with parallel steel rails over which trains travel the railway companies are continually repairing their roads

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 roads All roads lead to Doug Mason, who also admitted the coincidence was mutual. — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026 Tens of thousands of amateurs follow suit, keen to ride the same roads. — Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 Away from the track and on curvy country roads outside of Atlanta, the X was always ready to lurch forward and pounce on any corner or straight. — Jerry Perez, The Drive, 3 Sep. 2026 The editors evaluate the hotel’s surroundings for busy roads or nightlife and also assess the building’s construction, paying attention to sound transfer, window quality and room positioning. — Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026 Idaho drivers could face crowded roads over Labor Day weekend, according to AAA. — Hali Smith, Idaho Statesman, 3 Sep. 2026 Rescue efforts, still in their first stages, have been hampered by the fact that the floodwaters have washed away entire roads. — Diaa Hadid, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026 The government promoted projects involving roads, ports, rail transportation, and the modernization of La Aurora International Airport, as well as plans for a metropolitan rail system in Guatemala City. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Aug. 2026 Hundreds have lost their homes across the Himalayan region, and officials reported large-scale damage to critical infrastructure, including hydropower dams, roads, buildings and bridges in the region. — Sibi Arasu, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for roads
  1. highways
  2. railroads
  3. streets
  4. railways
  5. thoroughfares
  6. freeways
  7. routes
  8. expressways
Noun
  • Key Biscayne The Village of Key Biscayne strictly prohibits all micromobility devices on streets, highways, sidewalks, bicycle paths, multiuse paths and trails, beaches and dunes unless otherwise authorized.
    — Amaia Gavica, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Two men were sentenced Thursday for staging crashes on New York City highways to get fraudulent insurance payouts.
    — Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of highways
Noun
  • The initiative, according to details shared first with Semafor, will allow state-level transportation agencies and railroads to lease out land alongside roads and tracks to private sector companies to develop new infrastructure.
    — Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The story of Colorado’s railroads doesn’t end in the Royal Gorge.
    — Jocelyn Rowley, Denver Post, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of railroads
Noun
  • The Basij run a nationwide network of volunteers who maintain a presence in the streets, government offices and cultural centers, seeking to ensure loyalty and ideological purity for Iran’s theocracy.
    — Lee Keath, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • This location is more residential, with quieter streets and approachable local trattorias, but offers several architecturally significant palaces and one of the city's oldest churches, the 11th-century San Zan Degola.
    — Irene S. Levine, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of streets
Noun
  • These have included arson, high-profile hacks, GPS jamming as well as sabotage actions against key infrastructure, including undersea communication cables, logistics centers and railways.
    — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The city was also brimming with foreign workers living in camps in and around Dresden, who had been brought in to work on the railways since so many German men were off fighting.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of railways
Noun
  • Kitchens were structured for high throughput and delivery vehicles lined up on the other side of the building to take finished meals and speed them along critical thoroughfares for timely and low-cost delivery.
    — George C. Lee II, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
  • According to the county, road improvements are coming for some of the thoroughfares near Boca Lago.
    — Abigail Hasebroock, Sun Sentinel, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of thoroughfares
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
  • In addition to major highways and freeways, DreamDrive can also handle driving on local two-lane highways.
    — Brooke Crothers, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of freeways
Noun
  • That can mean choosing a better location for construction, alternate routes, backup power, improved early warning and financial tools such as insurance to speed recovery, Narasimhan said.
    — Victoria Milko, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Major transit routes through the country closed entirely as the state fragmented into competing zones of control.
    — Jesse Marks, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of routes
Noun
  • The firm noted that major bridges like the Donghai Bridge and the Hangzhou Bay Bridge, as well as regional expressways, have reopened with standard speed limits restored.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Homicide data from the Illinois State Police, which patrols the city’s expressways, also is not included here.
    — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 26 May 2026
Definition of expressways

Browse Nearby Words

road rage
roads
roadstead
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Cite this Entry

“Roads.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roads. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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