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Synonyms

off-ramp

American  
[awf-ramp, of-] / ˈɔfˌræmp, ˈɒf- /
Or offramp

noun

  1. an exit lane for traffic from a turnpike or freeway to a street.

off-ramp British  

noun

  1. a short steep one-way road by which traffic can leave a motorway or highway

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of off-ramp

An Americanism dating back to 1950–55

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Leo, the first US-born pope, has repeatedly and ever more insistently called for peace in the Middle East and this week directly urged US President Donald Trump to find an "off-ramp".

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

No. This man practically saved Southern California from itself, and we didn’t even name a freeway off-ramp in his honor.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

In the meantime, the city pushed Gil toward an off-ramp.

From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026

Coming just ahead of his own ultimatum, the move creates a potential off-ramp, at least for now.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

Besides the lone bulb dangling from a pole at the end of the off-ramp, there weren’t any lights at all.

From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.