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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There were certain inspirations from that book that had little manifestations in the Underground Railroad. Zac Ntim, Deadline, 12 Feb. 2025 The city of Lawrence has a rich history with abolitionist roots with two different Underground Railroad sites in Lawrence: Grover Barn and Robert Miller House, the post noted. Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 12 Feb. 2025 Free! 📖 Learn about Detroit's role in the abolition movement and Underground Railroad at the Detroit Public Library main branch. Annalise Frank, Axios, 6 Feb. 2025 And in the 1800s, churches served as vital links in the Underground Railroad that helped enslaved people elude authorities and migrate to free states. Bill Chappell, NPR, 26 Jan. 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 27 Feb. 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

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