guardrail
noun
guard·rail
ˈgärd-ˌrāl 
: a railing guarding usually against danger
especially
: a barrier placed along the edge of a highway at dangerous points
Examples of guardrail in a Sentence
the car ran off the road, but fortunately only hit the guardrail
Recent Examples on the Web
But growth without guardrails comes at a cost.
—
Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 30 Apr. 2026
The House sent its three-year extension of section 702 to the Senate on Wednesday, which included oversight guardrails and penalties for abuses of the spy program.
—Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 30 Apr. 2026
The difference in the two companies’ approaches to cybersecurity mirrors much of the wider debate in the world of AI, where the technology has been advancing much more quickly than legal, regulatory and social guardrails.
—Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 29 Apr. 2026
The state’s current fiscal guardrails are the barrier to respond to urgent needs in our communities.
—David Rich, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for guardrail
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Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 30 Apr. 2026
The House sent its three-year extension of section 702 to the Senate on Wednesday, which included oversight guardrails and penalties for abuses of the spy program.
—Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 30 Apr. 2026
The difference in the two companies’ approaches to cybersecurity mirrors much of the wider debate in the world of AI, where the technology has been advancing much more quickly than legal, regulatory and social guardrails.
—Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 29 Apr. 2026
The state’s current fiscal guardrails are the barrier to respond to urgent needs in our communities.
—David Rich, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for guardrail
Cite this Entry
“Guardrail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guardrail. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
guardrail
noun
guard·rail
ˈgär-ˌdrāl
: a protective railing placed along dangerous areas (as of a road)
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