subway

noun

sub·​way ˈsəb-ˌwā 

: an underground way: such as

a

: a passage under a street (as for pedestrians, power cables, or water or gas mains)

b

: a usually electric underground railway

c

: underpass

subway intransitive verb

Examples of subway in a Sentence

I took the subway to midtown.

No one on the subway seemed to mind how crowded it was.

I've been on both the New York subway and the Underground in London.

Recent Examples on the Web

Decades of groundwater pumping and urban development over an ancient lake bed have caused subsidence exceeding 39 feet, damaging the subway, water systems and iconic monuments. —Megan Janetsky, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026

Anthony Manetta on the mezzanine level of Grand Central Station near the entrance of the 4, 5, and 6 subway lines. —Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 1 May 2026

The style is efficient, comfortable, and offers instant peace of mind in crowded markets, packed subway cars, and busy plazas. —Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 29 Apr. 2026

On Singapore’s subway, called the MRT, announcements are sometimes made in as many as four languages; on Hong Kong’s subway, called the MTR, announcements are made in three. —Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1822, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing subway

• subway train

Rhymes for subway

• airway
• allay
• archway
• array
• ashtray
• astray
• aue
• away
• ballet
• belay
• beltway
• beret

Kids Definition

subway

noun

sub·​way ˈsəb-ˌwā 

1

: an underground passage

2

: a usually electric underground railway