straphanger

1 of 2

noun

strap·​hang·​er ˈstrap-ˌhaŋ-ər How to pronounce straphanger (audio)
: a standing passenger in a subway, streetcar, bus, or train who clings for support to one of the short straps or similar devices placed along the aisle
straphang
ˈstrap-ˌhaŋ How to pronounce straphanger (audio)
intransitive verb

straphang

2 of 2

intransitive verb

-ed/-ing/-s
chiefly British
: to ride in a conveyance as a straphanger

Examples of straphanger in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
The April shooting caused a mass panic on the subway car with straphangers stampeding toward the exits as the train entered the station. — Julian Roberts-Grmela, New York Daily News, 5 June 2026 His trilogy is, likewise, a straphangers’ gallery of metropolitan oddballs, from Zippo, a pyromaniac turned blaxploitation filmmaker, to Uncle Rich, a master criminal who stages a daring raid on the Waldorf-Astoria from a disused train tunnel with the help of a homeless army. — Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 22 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for straphanger

Word History

Etymology

Intransitive verb

back-formation from straphanger

First Known Use

Noun

1896, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of straphanger was in 1896

Browse Nearby Words

straphang
straphanger
strap hinge
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Straphanger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/straphanger. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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