Underground Railroad

noun

variants or less commonly Underground Railway
: a system of cooperation among active antislavery people in the U.S. before 1863 by which people escaping enslavement were secretly helped to reach the North or Canada

Examples of Underground Railroad in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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As Black History Month begins, the Blairsville Underground Railroad Museum shares the stories of slavery, the Civil War, Reconstruction and beyond — through the lens of Indiana County. Josh Taylor, CBS News, 7 Feb. 2026 Thoreau was an abolitionist, aided in the Underground Railroad, was the first to speak out on behalf of John Brown. Literary Hub, 5 Feb. 2026 Since 2016, Martin, an Illinois Humanities Road Scholar, has been sharing the story of how her ancestors and abolitionists used quilts to direct freedom seekers to routes through the Underground Railroad. Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026 During the Underground Railroad era, Ohio had more safe houses and hiding places than any other state, according to the Ohio Department of Development. Alex Perry, Cincinnati Enquirer, 5 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for Underground Railroad

Word History

First Known Use

1842, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Underground Railroad was in 1842

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Cite this Entry

“Underground Railroad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Underground%20Railroad. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

Underground Railroad

noun
: a system of cooperation among active antislavery people in the U.S. before 1863 by which people escaping enslavement were secretly helped to reach the North or Canada

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