Meaning & use

guardrail

noun·Everyday

A protective barrier that prevents vehicles or people from falling off an edge or straying into danger.

See it in a sentence

The car skidded but was stopped by the guardrail along the mountain road.

New guardrails were installed along the balcony after the safety inspection.

A note on using this word

Increasingly used figuratively for rules or limits that keep a plan, policy, or behavior from going wrong.

Words with a similar meaning

barrierrailing

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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