Meaning & use
railroad
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountableAmerican
A system of tracks with trains that carry passengers or goods, especially in the US.
Grammar: Countable: a railroad, the railroads. In British English, railway is the usual word for this.
Patterns
- by railroad
- a railroad station
- the railroad industry
They traveled across the country by railroad.
The old railroad runs along the river.
He worked for the railroad for thirty years.
verbtransitiveinformal
To force someone to do something quickly, without giving them time to think or object.
Grammar: Takes an object: railroad someone into something. Often used in the passive.
Patterns
- railroad someone into something
- railroad something through
The committee tried to railroad the plan through without discussion.
She felt she had been railroaded into accepting the offer.
Word forms
| plural | railroads |
|---|---|
| third person singular | railroads |
| past tense | railroaded |
| past participle | railroaded |
| -ing form | railroading |
Common combinations
- by railroad
- It is cheaper to send the goods by railroad.
- railroad station
- We waited for her at the railroad station.
- railroad track
- Do not walk along the railroad tracks.
- railroad someone into something
- They railroaded him into signing the contract.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- railroader noun
- A person who works for a railroad.
- railroading noun
- The activity or business of building and running railroads.
Commonly confused: railroad or railway?
railroad vs railway
Railway is the standard British term; railroad is the American term. Both can refer to the same system.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'railroad' correctly in the informal verb sense?
Choose one answer.
'Railroad' as a verb means to force something through quickly, so 'railroaded the new law through' fits. Option 1 uses it as if it meant 'traveled by train', which is not correct. Option 2 uses it as a noun, and option 3 uses it as a verb but with the wrong meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “railroad”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.