: one who attends a switch (as in a railroad yard)

Examples of switchman 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.
During a bitter labor strike in 1963, Florida East Coast Railway hired Mr. Calley as a switchman and then promoted him to conductor. Adam Bernstein, Washington Post, 29 July 2024 But emergencies have long been the switchmen of lasting social change. Matthew Desmond, The New York Review of Books, 28 Dec. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1843, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of switchman was in 1843

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Cite this Entry

“Switchman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/switchman. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

switchman

noun
: one who attends a railroad switch
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