railroad

1 of 2

noun

rail·​road ˈrāl-ˌrōd 

ˈrel-;

ˈre-ˌrōd 

: a permanent road having a line of rails fixed to ties and laid on a roadbed and providing a track for cars or equipment drawn by locomotives or propelled by self-contained motors

also : such a road and its assets constituting a single property

railroad

2 of 2

verb

railroaded; railroading; railroads

transitive verb

1

a

: to convict with undue haste and by means of false charges or insufficient evidence

b

: to push through hastily or without due consideration

2

: to transport by railroad

intransitive verb

: to work for a railroad company

railroader noun

Synonyms

Noun

• rail
• railway
• road

Examples of railroad in a Sentence

Noun

that railroad hasn't been used for passenger trains for decades

Verb

a controversial law that is being railroaded through Congress

a bill that was railroaded into law

They claim she was railroaded.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Stacey Miranda: … and had he not been stuck on the railroad tracks, this still might not be a solved case. —Anne-Marie Green, CBS News, 25 Jan. 2025

The railroad administration does mandate train employees, including drivers and conductors, rest for certain periods of time after a shift. —Samantha Moilanen, Chicago Tribune, 24 Jan. 2025

Verb

What does the way that Peltier was railroaded say about justice for Indigenous Americans overall? —Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 27 Jan. 2025

Several owners felt railroaded by an aggressive legal process that typically wrapped up in a few months. —Ben Wieder, Miami Herald, 26 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1757, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1829, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing railroad

• railroad bridge
• railroad crossing
• railroad flat
• railroad worm

Kids Definition

railroad

1 of 2 noun

rail·​road ˈrā(ə)l-ˌrōd 

1

: a permanent road that has parallel steel rails which make a track for cars

2

: a railroad together with the lands, buildings, locomotives, cars, and other equipment that belong to it

railroad

2 of 2 verb

1

a

: to send by railroad

b

: to work on a railroad

2

a

: to push (as a bill) through a legislature in a rush

b

: to convict and send to prison without much evidence or by means of false charges

railroader noun