beltway

[ belt-wey ]

/ ˈbɛltˌweɪ /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for beltway on Thesaurus.com

noun

Also called belt highway. a highway around the perimeter of an urban area.

the Beltway, the Washington, D.C., area within the highway that encircles it.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!

Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.

Question 1 of 7

“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

true

false

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of beltway

First recorded in 1950–55; belt + way¹

Words nearby beltway

Beltsville, Beltsville small white, Beltsy, belt-tightening, belt up, beltway, beluga, Belukha, belvedere, Belvidere, Belvoir Castle

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use beltway in a sentence

Some odd localized trees down around Van Dorn and beltway in VA.
D.C. braces for second night of storms after deadly lightning strike|Jason Samenow, Jeffrey Halverson|August 5, 2022|Washington Post
The Equality Act isn’t beltway politics, it’s about ensuring that LGBTQ children can grow up in a society that values them and affords them the protections they deserve.
In first, GOP compromise on LGBTQ rights expected to win Democratic support|Chris Johnson|February 24, 2021|Washington Blade
At its worst, The Stranger merely recycles the biases, conventional wisdom, and cynical bitterness of inside-the-beltway habitués.
Chuck Todd’s Lousy Obama Takedown|William O’Connor|November 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was just something they knew they had to say for a while to sound responsible in Beltway land.
How Can Dems Be Losing to These Idiots?|Michael Tomasky|October 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST

After all, Beltway elites—and many voters—are under the impression that the Republican Party is still nostalgic for the Cold War.
Rick Perry: America’s Next Top Strategist?|James Poulos|September 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Then presidential politicking transformed the Benghazi tragedy into an inside-the-Beltway circus.
This Sexy Thriller Is Just the Document the Benghazi Commission Needs|Christopher Dickey|September 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But travel outside the Beltway, and the conversation about impeachment is far from abstract.
Don’t Be Fooled: The GOP Wants Impeachment|David Freedlander|August 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for beltway

beltway

/ (ˈbɛltˌweɪ) /

noun

the usual US name for a ring road

(usually with capital)

the people and institutions located in the area bounded by the Washington Beltway, taken to be politically and socially out of touch with the rest of America and much given to political intrigue
(as modifier)Beltway Cassandras

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

beltway

Origin of beltway

Words nearby beltway

Words related to beltway

How to use beltway in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for beltway