freeway
Americannoun
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an express highway with no intersections, usually having traffic routed on and off by means of a cloverleaf.
-
a toll-free highway.
noun
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another name for expressway
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a major road that can be used without paying a toll
Etymology
Origin of freeway
Compare meaning
How does freeway compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A freeway is a busy, divided road with several lanes heading in both directions. The freeway is often to quickest way to get where you're going, unless there's a traffic jam or an accident slowing things down. People often use the terms freeway and highway interchangeably, and there's also parkway and expressway — or motorway, if you're in the UK. Traffic moves fast on the freeway, and its access is limited to exits that lead to and from smaller local roads and streets. There are no traffic signals on the freeway, but a crash or road work can sometimes bring traffic to a complete stop.
Vocabulary lists containing freeway
The Distance Between Us
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Land of the Cranes
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We Were Here
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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.
His daughter, Hawaa Abdullah, said at a Tuesday news conference that if she popped a tire while driving on the freeway, he would drop everything to make sure she was safe.
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026
The fire that shut down the freeway burned inside a 150- to 200-foot long tunnel with one 4-by-4-foot entrance that was once used by a now-shuttered local oil refinery, according to Caltrans.
From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026
The Port of Los Angeles has so far been unaffected by the freeway closure, port spokesperson Phillip Sanford said.
From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026
The "Toxic" singer was arrested in March after police spotted her driving erratically on a freeway in Ventura County, near Los Angeles.
From Barron's • May 4, 2026
My parents and I are in the car now, zooming down the freeway.
From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
