Meaning & use
skyway
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountableAmerican
A covered or open walkway raised above the street that joins buildings, so people can cross without going outside.
Grammar: Often used for the enclosed bridges in cold-weather downtowns.
Patterns
- through the skyway
- a skyway between buildings
In winter, workers cross downtown through the skyway.
The skyway links the hotel to the convention center.
We took the skyway to avoid the snow.
nouncountabletechnical
A route in the air that aircraft are directed to follow.
Grammar: Usually plural in aviation discussion.
Patterns
- a busy skyway
The pilots followed the designated skyway across the coast.
Congested skyways cause delays.
Controllers manage traffic along the main skyway.
nouncountableAmerican
A raised road or bridge for cars, built above the ground or over water.
Grammar: Used in names of bridges and highways.
Patterns
- the skyway bridge
Traffic on the skyway crawled during rush hour.
The Skyway bridge stretches across the bay.
We drove over the skyway to reach the island.
Word forms
| plural | skyways |
|---|
Common combinations
- enclosed skyway
- An enclosed skyway keeps pedestrians warm.
- downtown skyway
- The downtown skyway connects dozens of offices.
- skyway system
- The city's skyway system spans several blocks.
- cross the skyway
- We crossed the skyway to the parking garage.
- skyway bridge
- The skyway bridge offered a view of the harbor.
Synonyms and how they differ
- overpass
- An overpass carries a road over another road, while a skyway usually carries people between buildings.
- footbridge
- A footbridge is a bridge for walkers, but may be outdoors and not connect buildings.
- air lane
- An air lane is the aviation sense only.
- elevated walkway
- Elevated walkway is a plain descriptive phrase for the building-connecting sense.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: skyway or skyway?
skyway vs skyway
Skyway is sometimes confused with subway, which runs under the ground rather than above it.
Practice
In a snowy city, workers use a heated skyway to ___.
Choose one answer.
A downtown skyway is a raised, enclosed walkway between buildings. A subway would be underground.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “skyway”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.