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Showing results for embankment. Search instead for railroad+embankment.
Synonyms

embankment

American  
[em-bangk-muhnt] / ɛmˈbæŋk mənt /

noun

  • embankments
    plural
  1. a bank, mound, dike, or the like, raised to hold back water, carry a roadway, etc.

  2. the action of embanking.


embankment British  
/ ɪmˈbæŋkmənt /

noun

  1. a man-made ridge of earth or stone that carries a road or railway or confines a waterway See also levee 1

"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 embankment

First recorded in 1780–90; embank + -ment

Vocabulary lists containing embankment

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:

He was in the back seat of a Land Rover when it careened over an embankment and plunged down a hill.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

The catastrophe was caused by a breach in an embankment built decades earlier and inadequately maintained.

From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026

Nearly 400 people died in Bihar after the Kosi breached an embankment in Nepal.

From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026

They were found Wednesday afternoon in an embankment near the 33000 block of South Grade Road in Pauma Valley, less than three miles from the entrance of the state park.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

At the top hovered an embankment of rolling, snaking fog so dense it was like stepping into another world.

From "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs

"Due to the impact of persistent heavy rainfall and the prolonged passage of floodwaters at high levels, the safety of reservoirs and embankments in the affected areas faces a severe test," he added.

From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026

"Due to the impact of persistent heavy rainfall and the prolonged passage of floodwaters at high levels, the safety of reservoirs and embankments in the affected areas faces a severe test," he said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026

It's not only tracks that need looking after, but embankments and drainage along railway lines.

From BBC ● Dec. 21, 2025

Structural maintenance includes resurfacing and reconstruction of roads and footways, as well as investment in both drainage infrastructure and in the structural stability of embankments.

From BBC ● Nov. 14, 2024

They grumbled continually as they built and rebuilt with leathery, deliberate hands their pyramids of mottled greenish oranges and mangoes and curved embankments of hard green bananas.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

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