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family way

noun

Definition of family waynext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 family way The family way of basketball spread to Turgeon’s son Will, who grew up in Wichita and on the courts his father coached on. — Pj Green march 10, Kansas City Star, 10 Mar. 2026 That was the family way, as Schadt’s great-grandfather, Jacob Heitzman, started the place in 1891. — Amanda Hancock, Louisville Courier Journal, 2 Jan. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for family way
  1. pregnancy
  2. gestation
Noun
  • Taylor Lautner and Taylor Lautner announced their pregnancy in March (which probably prevented the couple from attending another famous Taylor’s wedding in July).
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026
  • After a 20-week scan revealed the fetus’ heart condition, the biological parents – Omar Ahmed and Nausheen Gilkar – wanted to terminate the pregnancy.
    — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of pregnancy
Noun
  • The medical examiner found the fetus had normal development for 20 weeks' gestation, weighing less than a pound.
    — Jericka Duncan, CBS News, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Heifers are bred from between 12 to 15 months of age, and calves have a gestation period just under a year before staying up to 10 months with their mothers.
    — Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of gestation

Browse Nearby Words

family trees
family way
famine
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Cite this Entry

“Family way.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/family%20way. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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