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

Refreshed Backsplash Farnan says a modern backsplash (subway tile, glass, or stone) can up your kitchen's visual appeal without breaking your budget. —Kamron Sanders, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Apr. 2025

This was the first time in the last seven years that there have been no murders in the subway in the first three months of the year. —Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 3 Apr. 2025

Major crime in the subways decreased more than 18% in the first three months of the year, Tisch said. —Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 3 Apr. 2025

But there is a humbler realm more typically glimpsed via highway billboards and subway ads. —Alec MacGillis, ProPublica, 3 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1822, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing subway

• subway train

Rhymes for subway

• airway
• allay
• archway
• array
• ashtray
• astray
• aue
• away
• ballet
• belay
• beltway
• beret

Kids Definition

subway

noun

sub·​way ˈsəb-ˌwā 

1

: an underground passage

2

: a usually electric underground railway