1
: a passage for a current of air (as in a mine or to the lungs)
2
: a designated route along which airplanes fly from airport to airport
especially
: such a route equipped with navigational aids
3
: airline
4
: a channel of a designated radio frequency for broadcasting or other radio communication
Examples of airway in a Sentence
a patient with a partially blocked airway
Recent Examples on the Web
All together, these tonsils form Waldeyer’s ring, which serves as a gatekeeper to all things entering the airways and digestive tract, grabbing pathogens and warding off diseases.
—
Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2026
Doctors inserted tubes into the babies’ airways, connected them to IVs, ordered blood transfusions.
—Duaa Eldeib, ProPublica, 18 May 2026
Obesity is the strongest single risk factor — excess fat around the neck and upper airway makes airway collapse more likely.
—Allison Palmer, Charlotte Observer, 18 May 2026
According to the outlet, McCluskey’s clothing got trapped under the elevator and cut off the airway in his throat.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for airway
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Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2026
Doctors inserted tubes into the babies’ airways, connected them to IVs, ordered blood transfusions.
—Duaa Eldeib, ProPublica, 18 May 2026
Obesity is the strongest single risk factor — excess fat around the neck and upper airway makes airway collapse more likely.
—Allison Palmer, Charlotte Observer, 18 May 2026
According to the outlet, McCluskey’s clothing got trapped under the elevator and cut off the airway in his throat.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for airway
Cite this Entry
“Airway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/airway. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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Medical Definition
airway
noun
air·way
-ˌwā 
: a passageway for air into or out of the lungs
specifically
: a device passed into the trachea by way of the mouth or nose or through an incision to maintain a clear respiratory passageway (as during anesthesia, convulsions, or in obstructive laryngitis) see upper airway
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