How to use handrail in a sentence

18 example sentences · noun

Handrail means a rail which can be held, such as on the side of a staircase, ramp, or other walkway, and serving as a support or guard. Example: “I need to prime these handrails before we can apply the finish coat.”

Examples of handrail by meaning

nounA rail which can be held, such as on the side of a staircase, ramp, or other walkway, and serving as a support or guard.

Retractable steps and handrails are provided on each side of the cars.1952 September, “Modernised Pull-and-Push Trains”, in Railway Magazine, page 617
Walkways and handrails were also upgraded during the work, to improve safety for maintenance staff.2020 July 15, “Network News: £2 million repairs complete at Eskmeals viaduct”, in Rail, page 22

nounA moving continuous belt-like rail on either side of an escalator which users can hold on to for support.

We trialled a new ultraviolet system that runs under the handrail of an escalator, killing the virus.2020 December 2, Andy Byford talks to Paul Clifton, “I enjoy really big challenges...”, in RAIL, page 54

More sentences with handrail

I need to prime these handrails before we can apply the finish coat.From the entry prime
He needed the handrail, and he limped step by step, but he ascended at his full height.2017, Dean Koontz, The Silent Corner, page 98. From the entry starch
The uppers were reached by comfortably safe steps with handrails and slip proof coatings.2016, Constance R. Pottenger, Drop Dead Casino - Ginger The First, page 31. From the entry upper
Behind the fireplace is a catwalklike passage with a gridded handrail.1990, Architectural Digest, volume 47, page 209. From the entry catwalklike
So they barred her way, the leader clutching the hemmel (handrail) on either side.1989, Ken Radford, Fire Burn, page 50. From the entry hemmel
Taking a step forward, Nozawa rested her hands on the red handrail that separated the rear consoles from the command center.2017 November, Bernd Perplies, Christian Humberg, Star Trek Prometheus: Fire with Fire, 1st edition (Science Fiction), Titan Books, →ISBN…. From the entry xenoarcheological
Escalator modernization including handrail speed monitors, Safe-T- Brakes, emergency stop relocation, understep lighting, reconditioning of steps and related improvements.2000, FY 2000 Budget Request of the District of Columbia Courts. From the entry understep
There had not been time to build handrails, so lines of women spotted the sides of the ramp.1989 April 15, Angela Bowen, “Towards a National Lesbian Conference”, in Gay Community News, page 2. From the entry spot
Note safety handrails on overwalk across conveyor system.1967, New York (State). Dept. of Labor, The Industrial Bulletin of the Department of Labor, page 9. From the entry overwalk
We went along the hall to the end and up a flight of stairs with a carved handrail and newel post.1943, Raymond Chandler, The High Window, Penguin, published 2005, page 238. From the entry newel
He stepped to me while taking purchase on the handrail and looked through me with an asking look; finally he added with a sardonic smile.2015, Agnes Toth, The Guardian of Power, page 124. From the entry asking
In the two solutions shown above (a and b) , the first is awkwards, needing a ramp and handrails extending out from the building.1980, Charles Parrott, Access to historic buildings for the disabled: suggestions for planning and implementation, page 32. From the entry awkwards
It lifted, tilted, heaved and sank; and since there were no handrails on it, it kept Charmian and me busy avoiding falling in.1911 June, Jack London, “The First Landfall”, in The Cruise of the Snark, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, →OCLC, page 69. From the entry spraddle
As he lit the hurricane lamp he watched as it threw a wash of soft light through the window, illuminating the handrail on the porch beyond which nothing was visible.2011, Joe Simpson, chapter 10, in The Sound of Gravity, Jonathan Cape, page 93. From the entry hurricane lamp
A tri-tone chime whistle, operated from the cab by a flexible cable passing down the right hand handrail, is mounted on the top of the smokebox immediately behind the chimney.1951 June, “British Railways Standard Class "5" 4-6-0 Locomotives”, in Railway Magazine, page 399. From the entry immediately

Meaning of handrail

noun A rail which can be held, such as on the side of a staircase, ramp, or other walkway, and serving as a support or guard.
noun A moving continuous belt-like rail on either side of an escalator which users can hold on to for support.

Full definition of handrail

Questions about handrail in a sentence

How do you use handrail in a sentence?: Handrail is used as a noun. For example: “I need to prime these handrails before we can apply the finish coat.”
What is a short sentence with handrail?: “Note safety handrails on overwalk across conveyor system.”
What does handrail mean?: Handrail means a rail which can be held, such as on the side of a staircase, ramp, or other walkway, and serving as a support or guard.

Adapted from Wiktionary: handrail (page history and authors) and the entries each sentence comes from. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws chose the sentences, left out offensive ones and quotations older than 1900, and marked the word in each. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Cite this page: “How to use handrail in a sentence.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/sentences/handrail. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.