ENGLISH
REFERENCE

relays

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈɹiˌɫeɪz// re·lays

n. a race where members of a team take turns to complete parts of the course. You usually pass an object, like a baton, to the next person.

n. a series of sequential stages in a race or task where team members take turns to complete a segment. Often involves the physical transfer of a baton or the completion of a specific leg before the next participant begins.


SIMPLE

Our team won both the swimming and running relays.

CONTEXTUAL

The school sports day concluded with the mixed-gender relays, where students from different grades competed together.

COMPLEX

In high-stakes track events, the success of relays depends as much on the precision of the baton exchange as on the raw speed of the individual sprinters.

Synonyms
Usage

Usually used in the plural when referring to the general category of races, but singular when referring to a specific event.

© 2026 English Reference