footpaths

noun

plural of footpath
as in trails
a rough course or way formed by or as if by repeated footsteps found the footpath leading down into the valley

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 footpaths 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 According to the National Park Service, the footpaths through the forested ridgetops of Pennsylvania are among the most popular. — Idra Novey, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 July 2026 Eschewing fences and pavement in favor of natural footpaths lined with brambles and shrubs, these slender pathways provide epic sea views while leaving the ancestral homes of other animals intact. — Literary Hub, 11 June 2026 The Uganda-Congo border is several hundred miles long and crossed by numerous footpaths beyond formal border posts, which many people use daily to visit family or to trade. — Katrine L. Wallace, The Conversation, 29 May 2026 The border between Uganda and Congo is several hundred miles long and crossed by numerous footpaths beyond formal border posts. — Rodney Muhumuza, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2026 The Uganda-Congo border is several hundred miles long and crossed by numerous footpaths beyond formal border posts. — CBS News, 27 May 2026 Narrow cobblestone laneways, pastel-hued shops, and footpaths meandering past stone houses with tiny backyard vineyards—and hardly other tourists in sight—lend a sense of discovery to daily strolls on this side of the lake. — Lisa Kadane, Travel + Leisure, 1 May 2026 Just south of downtown San Jose, about 100 people live on the banks of Coyote Creek, where footpaths and improvised bridges connect a community of tents and wooden shacks — the city’s last sprawling homeless encampment. — Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for footpaths
  1. trails
  2. paths
  3. pathways
Noun
  • Meteors can appear anywhere in the sky, and those seen farther from the radiant can leave longer trails.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The process to assemble one of the country’s largest rails-to-trails corridors took about two decades, spanning four mayoral administrations.
    — Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of trails
Noun
  • Through quests, combat, exploration and cooperative adventures, players can forge their own paths through the medieval fantasy world of Gielinor.
    — Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Oracular methods such as automatism and tarot cards would lead Colquhoun down many paths in her search for knowledge, while the duality of the androgyne fascinated her in her art and writing.
    — Marina Warner, The New York Review of Books, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of paths
Noun
  • Accessibility There’s wheelchair access to the ground floor rooms & garden, with paths around the property to access the restaurant, although the gravel pathways are not ideal for wheelchairs.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • As potential homebuyers in California weigh some very expensive housing options, they are often steered toward condominiums — one of the most affordable pathways to becoming a homeowner in the United States.
    — Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of pathways

Browse Nearby Words

footpath
footpaths
footprint
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Footpaths.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/footpaths. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All