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
Investigators said the 33-year-old Hyundai driver lost control, hit a guardrail and rammed the big rig.
—
Tanasia Kenney, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024
Some states have rules clarifying that the boats aren't required under certain conditions, such as when the work being done is contained within the guardrails of a bridge.
—Jake Offenhartz and Claudia Lauer, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2024
Now a California lawmaker says there must be guardrails to keep that in check.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, The Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2024
The driver lost control of the Elantra, which went off the road, hit a guardrail and turned over.
—Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 29 Mar. 2024
And Stephen Richer, in Arizona, has been a guardrail, too.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 28 Mar. 2024
In passing the Civil Rights Act, Congress put a guardrail in place to be sure that states don't erect unnecessary barriers that disenfranchise voters.
—Hansi Lo Wang, NPR, 27 Mar. 2024
For years Congress has failed to act on bills that would protect users’ privacy, protect children from online threats, make companies more liable for their content and put loose guardrails around artificial intelligence, among other things.
—Mary Clare Jalonick, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2024
Many firms are hiring executives with titles like chief AI officer to oversee the development and implementation of AI guardrails and policies.
—Byjohn Kell, Fortune, 20 Mar. 2024
Tanasia Kenney, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024
Some states have rules clarifying that the boats aren't required under certain conditions, such as when the work being done is contained within the guardrails of a bridge.
—Jake Offenhartz and Claudia Lauer, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2024
Now a California lawmaker says there must be guardrails to keep that in check.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, The Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2024
The driver lost control of the Elantra, which went off the road, hit a guardrail and turned over.
—Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 29 Mar. 2024
And Stephen Richer, in Arizona, has been a guardrail, too.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 28 Mar. 2024
In passing the Civil Rights Act, Congress put a guardrail in place to be sure that states don't erect unnecessary barriers that disenfranchise voters.
—Hansi Lo Wang, NPR, 27 Mar. 2024
For years Congress has failed to act on bills that would protect users’ privacy, protect children from online threats, make companies more liable for their content and put loose guardrails around artificial intelligence, among other things.
—Mary Clare Jalonick, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2024
Many firms are hiring executives with titles like chief AI officer to oversee the development and implementation of AI guardrails and policies.
—Byjohn Kell, Fortune, 20 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'guardrail.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1860, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near guardrail
Cite this Entry
“Guardrail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guardrail. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
guardrail
noun
guard·rail
ˈgär-ˌdrāl
: a protective railing placed along dangerous areas (as of a road)
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