Meaning & use
subway
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Meanings
nouncountableAmerican
An underground railway system that carries passengers around a city.
Grammar: Countable: a subway, the subway, subways. Often used with the definite article when talking about the system in a particular city.
Patterns
- take the subway
- by subway
- the subway system
I take the subway to work every morning.
The subway is crowded during rush hour.
They are building a new subway line to the airport.
nouncountableBritish
A pedestrian tunnel that goes under a road or railway.
Grammar: Countable: a subway, subways. This meaning is mainly British.
Patterns
- use the subway
- go through the subway
Use the subway to cross the road safely.
The subway under the tracks was dark and damp.
Word forms
| plural | subways |
|---|
Common combinations
- take the subway
- She takes the subway to school every day.
- subway station
- Meet me at the subway station at six.
- subway line
- The new subway line will open next year.
- subway system
- Tokyo has a very efficient subway system.
- by subway
- It's faster to go by subway than by bus.
Synonyms and how they differ
- underground
- The usual British word for an urban underground railway; use it in British English.
- tube
- Informal British word for the London Underground; not used for other cities.
- metro
- Used in many cities worldwide, especially in Europe and Asia; common in names like 'the Paris Metro'.
Commonly confused: subway or suburb?
subway vs suburb
A suburb is a residential area outside a city center, not a railway system.
Practice
In American English, which sentence is correct?
Choose one answer.
'Subway' is the standard American word. 'Underground' and 'tube' are British, and 'metro' is used in many other cities but is not the usual American term.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “subway”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.