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
Florida’s adult protection program lacks such guardrails.
—
Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2026
One of the biggest shifts at the department observed by DOJ employees has been the erosion of traditional guardrails that were installed after the Watergate scandal that were designed to insulate the department's investigations from political interference by the White House.
—Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
Body camera footage released by Connecticut State Police, taken from a trooper at the scene, shows the trooper jumping over a metal guardrail to avoid being struck just seconds before the driver of a BMW M340 approached and slammed into the cruiser.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 2 Apr. 2026
Progressive lawmakers Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently introduced a bill to pause all new data center construction until federal guardrails and safeguards are instituted for workers, communities and the environment.
—Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for guardrail
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Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2026
One of the biggest shifts at the department observed by DOJ employees has been the erosion of traditional guardrails that were installed after the Watergate scandal that were designed to insulate the department's investigations from political interference by the White House.
—Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
Body camera footage released by Connecticut State Police, taken from a trooper at the scene, shows the trooper jumping over a metal guardrail to avoid being struck just seconds before the driver of a BMW M340 approached and slammed into the cruiser.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 2 Apr. 2026
Progressive lawmakers Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently introduced a bill to pause all new data center construction until federal guardrails and safeguards are instituted for workers, communities and the environment.
—Los Angeles Times, 2 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 5 Apr. 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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