subway
Americannoun
-
subways
plural
-
especially British, tube, underground. an underground electric railroad, usually in a large city.
-
Chiefly British. a short tunnel or underground passageway for pedestrians, automobiles, etc.; underpass.
verb (used without object)
noun
-
an underground passage or tunnel enabling pedestrians to cross a road, railway, etc
-
an underground passage or tunnel for traffic, electric power supplies, etc
-
an underground railway
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of subway
Explanation
An underground transportation system on rails is called a subway. New York City's subway system has more stations than any other subway in the world. In most large cities, the subway is a good way to get where you need to go. Subways have many different local names, from the BART in San Francisco to the Métro in Paris to the U-Bahn in Berlin. Before subway came to mean "underground railway," it meant "underground passage for water pipes." And if you ask where the subway is in London, you'll be directed to an underground walkway, which is what subway means in the U.K.
Vocabulary lists containing subway
October Words
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Unit 5
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Transportation
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Provincial capital Hangzhou resumed subway services on Monday morning, after halting some train operations on Sunday.
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026
After her Ivy League acceptance, which came with a generous financial-aid package, she and her family went to Boston and spent a day riding the subway just for fun.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
It blossomed later on a trip to Tokyo, as they emerged from a subway.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
The subway stations have become a haven for many people in the capital city during Russia’s escalating airstrikes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
On the subway ride back home, I told Calista, “That was a good sad day.”
From Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff
What sets robotaxis apart is the privacy it offers that can’t be found on crowded subways or even in a traditional taxicab.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 24, 2025
She thinks the subways are already dangerous and filthy, and worries about the state of them next year when her oldest child needs to take public transit alone.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2025
As Rahiem said, “Amiri and I were just projecting our voices over the loud subways coming in and out of the stations,” not knowing at first that they’d become famous.
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2025
Money raised from the tolls would help bolster funds for its aging subways, which have garnered headlines over the years for massive underground floods during heavy rains.
From BBC ● Feb. 19, 2025
He couldn’t even be sure the subways were running in a blackout.
From "The Dead and the Gone" by Susan Beth Pfeffer
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.
