guardrail

noun

guard·​rail ˈgärd-ˌrāl How to pronounce guardrail (audio)
: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
At every level—executive, judicial, legislative, corporate, institutional, media—every single guardrail that is supposed to protect our democracy is buckling. Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 20 Sep. 2025 Earlier this summer, Prinstein and his colleagues at the APA put out a health advisory about AI and teens, urging AI companies to build guardrails for their platforms to protect adolescents. Rhitu Chatterjee, NPR, 19 Sep. 2025 When stopping by the roadside is your only option, position your vehicle as far off the road as possible, ideally beyond guardrails. Southern California Weather Report, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025 This establishes guardrails and access controls for AI systems that protect against unauthorized access to sensitive data, both by humans and the AI itself. Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for guardrail

Word History

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of guardrail was in 1860

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Guardrail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guardrail. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

guardrail

noun
guard·​rail ˈgär-ˌdrāl How to pronounce guardrail (audio)
: a protective railing placed along dangerous areas (as of a road)
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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