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
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.
The National Parks Service has restored the original Harriet Tubman material featured on a webpage about the Underground Railroad after garnering outrage over its removal. David Matthews, New York Daily News, 9 Apr. 2025 The National Park Service has reversed edits and restored content to its webpage about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad in the wake of news reports and public backlash over the changes. Ashraf Khalil, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2025 The National Park Service has officially reversed the controversial edits that were made to its webpages about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 8 Apr. 2025 The National Park Service has restored references to abolitionist Harriet Tubman to its webpage on the Underground Railroad after initially defending the removal. Cheyanne M. Daniels, The Hill, 8 Apr. 2025 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 16 Apr. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on Underground Railroad

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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