banister

noun

ˈba-nə-stər How to pronounce banister (audio)
variants also bannister
Definition of banisternext
as in railing
a protective barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and its supports a much-needed new banister for the rickety staircase

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 banister These include an Italian marble floor and dual stairways to the second floor that have solid bronze banisters from Brazil. — James Alexander, Hartford Courant, 31 May 2026 The staircase is a floating composition of wood treads, steel posts and glass banisters. — Sara B. Hansen, Denver Post, 25 May 2026 Plan your visit to President Lincoln's Cottage At the cottage, visitors are invited to sit on 19th-century chairs and pull themselves up using the original wooden banister, unlike most historic homes. — Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 3 May 2026 Over the banister, moonlight spilled across the foyer and illuminated a gloved hand reaching through the jagged hole in the window beside the front door. — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for banister
Recent Examples of Synonyms for banister
  1. railing
  2. rail
Noun
  • Jaxson Flynt takes a careful step into the pool, reaching for the railing to steady himself.
    — Ciara McCarthy October 22, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Kip comes slamming down the stairs, this huge mass barely staying upright by repeatedly grabbing the railing just in time.
    — George Saunders, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of railing
Noun
  • New high-speed rail corridors are running parallel to the existing coastal lines.
    — Ningrong Liu, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Now there are rails suspended from the ceiling and an honest-to-goodness cash register in the front, with dressing rooms and more standing racks in the back half of the space, totaling 940 square feet.
    — Max Berlinger, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of rail

Browse Nearby Words

banishments
banister
banisters
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Cite this Entry

“Banister.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/banister. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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