un·der·way
ˌən-dər-ˈwā 
: occurring, performed, or used while traveling or in motion
underway replenishment of fuel
variants
or less commonly under way
1
: in motion : not at anchor or aground
The ship was underway at dawn.
2
: into motion from a standstill
The train should be underway again soon.
3
: in progress : happening now
Preparations for the celebration are already underway.
A search is underway.
The season got underway with a bang.
Examples of underway in a Sentence
Adverb
construction of the new shopping mall is under way
Recent Examples on the Web
Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 16 May 2026
My family's summer road trip had just gotten underway when an unfamiliar orange exclamation point illuminated the dashboard of our Honda Pilot.
—Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026
Carter Braxton Worth, CNBC, 15 May 2026
The King’s College London deal reflects a broader shift underway across global higher education as universities increasingly pursue consolidation, partnerships and greater scale to remain competitive in research and international recruitment.
—Anna Esaki-Smith, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for underway
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Adjective
So, now, full-field qualifying will get underway at noon ET on FS2 with Scott Dixon batting leadoff thanks to Friday's draw.
—Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 16 May 2026
My family's summer road trip had just gotten underway when an unfamiliar orange exclamation point illuminated the dashboard of our Honda Pilot.
—Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026
Adverb
Note the two identical charts below, one with annotations depicting the bottoming out process underway, and one with the 150-day moving average, also depicting a bottoming out reversal formation.
—Carter Braxton Worth, CNBC, 15 May 2026
The King’s College London deal reflects a broader shift underway across global higher education as universities increasingly pursue consolidation, partnerships and greater scale to remain competitive in research and international recruitment.
—Anna Esaki-Smith, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for underway
Cite this Entry
“Underway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underway. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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