1
: a little traveled side road
2
: a secondary or little known aspect or field
… meandering more and more in the fascinating byways of learning.—
The Times Literary Supplement (London)
The Times Literary Supplement (London)Examples of byway in a Sentence
I prefer to take byways to town.
He's traveled the highways and byways of this country.
the byways of the art world
The book chronicles some of the interesting byways of legal history.
Recent Examples on the Web
The 24-mile scenic byway, which crosses from Georgetown south over the pass to Grant, typically opens over Memorial Day weekend, as do many other high mountain passes in Colorado.
—Jonathan Shikes, Denver Post, 15 Apr. 2026
The byway stretches over 49 miles from Idaho Springs to Bergen Park and is the highest paved road in North America, offering panoramic views of the Continental Divide.
—Christa Swanson, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
Imagine that—mother, child, and a half dozen designer beasts in a teetering Winnebago, careening down byways, pulling into Woonsocket for a night to drop off last weekend’s wolf pack and pick up the next, before getting back on the road to chase glory all over again.
—Andrew Norman Wilson, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
The Creole Nature Trail is a 180-mile scenic byway that cuts through Louisiana’s Cajun Country, also known as Acadiana.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for byway
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Jonathan Shikes, Denver Post, 15 Apr. 2026
The byway stretches over 49 miles from Idaho Springs to Bergen Park and is the highest paved road in North America, offering panoramic views of the Continental Divide.
—Christa Swanson, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
Imagine that—mother, child, and a half dozen designer beasts in a teetering Winnebago, careening down byways, pulling into Woonsocket for a night to drop off last weekend’s wolf pack and pick up the next, before getting back on the road to chase glory all over again.
—Andrew Norman Wilson, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
The Creole Nature Trail is a 180-mile scenic byway that cuts through Louisiana’s Cajun Country, also known as Acadiana.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for byway
Cite this Entry
“Byway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/byway. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
byway
noun
by·way
ˈbī-ˌwā 
: a little-traveled side road
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