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

embankment

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

noun

  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

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.

Papoli, 58, of Newport Beach, was found dead Nov. 18 about 75 feet down a steep embankment near Highway 138 and Crestline Road, in the mountain town of Crestline, officials reported.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 26, 2026

Some of the carriages had tumbled down an embankment of four metres, Sanz said at his press conference.

From Barron's • Jan. 18, 2026

New aerial footage shows the extent of damage to the Llangollen Canal and its embankment in Whitchurch, Shropshire, caused by a breach on 22 December.

From BBC • Jan. 4, 2026

And snow can obscure the trail entirely, he said — “you think you’re stepping on solid ground and, literally, your whole body drops all the way down to your chest” or, worse, down an embankment.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 31, 2025

I hold out my hand and lead her up the embankment and down the hill to a wide, round pool of blue water, ringed by trees.

From "All The Bright Places" by Jennifer Niven