Meaning & use
footbridges
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“footbridges” is a form of “footbridge”.
Meaning
nounplural
Narrow bridges built for people on foot to cross a road, railway, river or valley.
Grammar: Plural of footbridge; the singular needs an or the: a footbridge, several footbridges.
Patterns
- footbridges over something
- footbridges across something
Two footbridges cross the railway line near the station.
The council plans to replace the old wooden footbridges along the river path.
Footbridges are often the safest way for children to cross a busy highway.
Word forms
| singular | footbridge |
|---|
Common combinations
- cross footbridges
- We crossed three footbridges on the walk to the village.
- build footbridges
- The town built footbridges to link the two parks.
- footbridges over a motorway
- Footbridges over the motorway keep walkers away from traffic.
- wooden footbridges
- Wooden footbridges carry hikers over the streams.
- rope footbridges
- Rope footbridges hang across the gorge in the mountains.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pedestrian bridges
- This is a plainer, more general phrase that means the same thing and is common in American English.
- walkways
- Walkways need not be bridges at all, so the word is looser and may describe any path for walking.
- overpasses
- Overpasses usually carry vehicles over a road, so they differ from footbridges, which are only for pedestrians.
Word family
Commonly confused: footbridges or footpaths?
footbridges vs footpaths
Footpaths are walking routes on the ground, while footbridges are raised structures that cross something.
Practice
Walkers use the ___ to cross the railway safely.
Choose one answer.
Footbridges are bridges for pedestrians. Footsteps and footlights do not cross anything, and footnotes belong in books.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “footbridges”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.