1
as in bizarre
different from the ordinary in a way that causes curiosity or suspicion
the night watchman calls the police if he notices any out-of-the-way activity taking place during his shift
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unusual
noticeably different from what is generally found or experienced
there was nothing out-of-the-way about the hitchhiker's appearance that might arouse suspicion
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
out of the way
2 of 2phrase
1
as in up
brought or having come to an end
Now that we've got the first step out of the way it's time to start phase two.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in inappropriate
not appropriate for a particular occasion or situation
They hoped he wouldn't say anything out of the way at the party.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 out-of-the-way
Carley Rojas Ávila, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
With a smartphone camera rolling, Patrick confronted employees of an out-of-the-way retail store that sold the winning ticket for the $83.5 million Lotto Texas jackpot, which was then provided to the actual player by a third-party vendor.
—John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
Its business model is to connect travelers in cities that have little or no nonstop service, thus sparing folks from having to change planes in out-of-the-way hubs.
—Chris Dong, AFAR Media, 24 July 2025
Others are hidden in some of the game's most out-of-the-way underground crevices and practically require the use of collectible in-game treasure maps to find.
—ArsTechnica, 16 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for out-of-the-way
Adjective
Named for their out-of-the-way location compared to Nassau, the Out Islands combined welcomed 40% less visitors than Nassau on New Providence Island in 2019.
—Carley Rojas Ávila, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
With a smartphone camera rolling, Patrick confronted employees of an out-of-the-way retail store that sold the winning ticket for the $83.5 million Lotto Texas jackpot, which was then provided to the actual player by a third-party vendor.
—John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
Its business model is to connect travelers in cities that have little or no nonstop service, thus sparing folks from having to change planes in out-of-the-way hubs.
—Chris Dong, AFAR Media, 24 July 2025
Others are hidden in some of the game's most out-of-the-way underground crevices and practically require the use of collectible in-game treasure maps to find.
—ArsTechnica, 16 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for out-of-the-way
Recent Examples of Synonyms for out-of-the-way
Adjective
-
But everything changes when a string of gruesome killings—which grow increasingly bizarre, with victims covered in rashes and found in deranged, violent states—involves his young daughter Hyo-jin (Kim Hwan-hee).—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Paxton’s interest in Paul’s plight was bizarre, obsessive and so far beyond normal operations at the attorney general’s office that the agency’s top officials struggled to convey their concerns during the hourslong meeting with two FBI agents.—
Kimberly Ross,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
This is an unusual feature for a screen that’s designed for color-critical design tasks.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
-
When Macron was here, Mick Jagger was there with his girlfriend, which is quite unusual.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
At the heart of the discovery lies one of quantum mechanics’ strangest features — uncertainty.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Sep. 2025
-
The combination of climbing around this strange building and having heard the almost legendary stories about Karl-Göran was evocative and haunting.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The country’s midterm elections were approaching, and violence around elections was not uncommon.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Adam Goldstein of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression said that’s not uncommon, and all experts agreed the number of people participating in this effort is largely unheard of.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
However, senior research strategist Michael Brown of foreign currency brokerage Pepperstone sketched out his theory after Miran’s weird triple mandate comment roiled bond trading desks across the globe.—
Tiana Lowe Doescher,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Sep. 2025
-
There’s a lot of really weird stuff about the ancient world.—
Jonny Thomson,
Big Think,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Above all, the film is simply very funny.—
Peter Tonguette,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Funerals are not funny and responsible broadcasters always separate murder from mirth.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Others focussed on Netanyahu’s odd choice of metaphor.—
Ruth Margalit,
New Yorker,
18 Sep. 2025
-
The study would seem to be an odd choice to inform vaccine policy in the US.—
Brenda Goodman,
CNN Money,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
There’s a really solid understanding of mecha design underpinning the art direction, too, and that’s a rare thing to see these days.—
Ollie Barder,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Researchers have previously noted an elevated but rare risk of myocarditis, or inflamed heart muscle, in young men in particular.—
Annika Kim Constantino,
CNBC,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Out-of-the-way.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/out-of-the-way. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share