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Synonyms

bullet train

American  

noun

  • bullet trains
    plural
  1. a high-speed passenger train, as on certain routes in Japan.


bullet train British  

noun

  1. a passenger train that travels at very high speed

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms


Etymology

Origin of bullet train

First recorded in 1965–70


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

The jump in interest rates, and slowdown in the tech-stock bullet train, has put many investors on edge.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

The streamlined beak of the kingfisher, which enters the water almost without a splash, became the model for the nose of Japan’s bullet train.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

She had just taken a two-hour ride on the bullet train from Daegu to attend Lee Sulla's "book concert" in Seoul - an evening of music and author-led readings.

From BBC ● Apr. 18, 2026

GPUs can do a lot more, but for many current AI loads, TPU is like a bullet train.

From Barron's ● Nov. 28, 2025

Rafik wanted to be reborn in Japan so he could ride the bullet train.

From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye

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