path

noun

ˈpath How to pronounce path (audio)
Definition of pathnext
1
as in route
the direction along which something or someone moves try to stay out of the path of the golf balls while playing I tripped over a rock directly in my path

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2
as in trail
a rough course or way formed by or as if by repeated footsteps a path worn through the library lawn by too many people walking over it

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in road
an established course for traveling from one place to another the path along which ancient traders traveled from Europe to China was known as the Silk Road

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of path The path to the Chase Cup will be harder from here, but Wallace has gone through this before. — Charlotte Observer, 11 Oct. 2026 That shift has made the path into software development more difficult for recent graduates, even as demand rises for more experienced workers. — Corynn Winston, CNBC, 11 Oct. 2026 In a conversation with THR, Sloyan dissects playing Margaret, the character’s dark path, surprise reveal, her demise and her pitch for a Margaret prequel. — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 11 Oct. 2026 On the other side of the field is Sam Darnold, a guy with a very different path than Purdy. — Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for path
Recent Examples of Synonyms for path
  1. route
  2. trail
  3. road
  4. way
  5. pathway
  6. approach
  7. trajectory
  8. footpath
Noun
  • The South Asian country meets nearly 85% of its fuel needs via imports, with the Strait of Hormuz being a key supply route before the war.
    — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The route is expected to come into service next summer, albeit using slower trains that won’t cover the planned 316 miles.
    — Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of route
Noun
  • Meanwhile, popular trails like Laguna de los Tres in Los Glaciares National Park can feel like a stampede at the height of summer.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
  • But critics have warned the gloves will give ICE another weapon to intimidate and brutalize people even as the agency is under fire for excessive force that has left a trail of deaths and injuries across the nation.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of trail
Noun
  • The greatest concern is high tide through Sunday morning and swells from the remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel could create dangerous conditions with beach erosion and seawater once again flooding beach roads and paths.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026
  • The former Cup champion finished third, overcoming a speeding-on-pit-road penalty and other drama en route to that result.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of road
Noun
  • As the business has grown, Nouri’s customers increasingly look for more ways to express their personal style on their wedding day.
    — Madison Collins, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Someone who has regarded filmmaking as a mysterious occupation might begin to see a way into it.
    — Philip Martin, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of way
Noun
  • Employers have the biggest interest in making pathways to growing jobs more direct, particularly given the country’s aging population.
    — Eric Kutcher, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Under this new pathway, only the nuclear module follows the exhaustive atomic licensing schedule, while the turbine complex proceeds under standard commercial timelines.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of pathway
Noun
  • The right option depends on a patient’s needs and preferences, with a healthcare provider helping determine the approach.
    — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 8 Oct. 2026
  • These approaches test reason, rather than the output focus of most assignments.
    — Reynald Fasciaux, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of approach
Noun
  • The trajectories separated into four distinct clusters corresponding to rest, meditation, music, and the movie.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 10 Oct. 2026
  • If this trajectory continues, those proportions will only grow, with red states turning maximally red and blue states maximally blue.
    — Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of trajectory
Noun
  • The 400-year span starts with the Lenape footpath and works its way up to today, when one of the last Bowery artists, Billy Sullivan, has painted the denizens as part of a massive installation of portraits.
    — Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 25 Sep. 2026
  • But this one swept through Bright Angel Canyon, the site of one of the few footpaths that lead up the Gran Canyon’s North Rim.
    — Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of footpath

Phrases Containing path

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pates
path
pathbreaking
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Cite this Entry

“Path.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/path. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on path

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about path

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