family way

as in pregnancy
the state of containing unborn young within the body noticing the telltale bump, we guessed that she was in the family way again

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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 family way The devastation of the accident affected my family way beyond 1979. Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 25 May 2022 One thing that the proud mom believes helped propel her son to success was the Cochran family way, coined by her father in a book. Abigail Adams, PEOPLE.com, 9 Feb. 2022 The devastation of the accident affected my family way beyond 1979. Jonathon Berlin, sun-sentinel.com, 21 May 2021 The devastation of the accident affected my family way beyond 1979. Jonathon Berlin, sun-sentinel.com, 21 May 2021 The devastation of the accident affected my family way beyond 1979. Jonathon Berlin, sun-sentinel.com, 21 May 2021 The devastation of the accident affected my family way beyond 1979. Jonathon Berlin, sun-sentinel.com, 21 May 2021 The devastation of the accident affected my family way beyond 1979. Jonathon Berlin, sun-sentinel.com, 21 May 2021 The devastation of the accident affected my family way beyond 1979. Jonathon Berlin, sun-sentinel.com, 21 May 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for family way
Noun
  • Older age also carries a higher risk of gestational diabetes, high blood pressure and chromosomal conditions during pregnancy.
    Adrianna Rodriguez, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2025
  • Genetics are likely to play a role; researchers have also explored the possible contributions of factors such as parental age; labor and delivery conditions; and exposures to certain chemicals, medications, or infections during pregnancy.
    Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Trying out their research on mice was easier than doing so on elephants—for one thing, the average gestation period for a mouse is three weeks, whereas an elephant’s is twenty-two months, the longest of any mammal.
    D. T. Max, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
  • Asian elephants—the extinct woolly mammoth’s closest surviving kin—require 22 months, the longest gestation period of any mammal.
    Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 7 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Family way.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/family%20way. Accessed 3 May. 2025.

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