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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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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for family way
Noun
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The majority held that the right to end a pregnancy was found neither in the text of the Constitution nor in the nation's history, erasing a reproductive right the high court established nearly five decades ago.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
9 Sep. 2025
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Patients often wait until the doctor is standing up to leave before blurting out their real concern, which is typically a sensitive or time-consuming problem, such as wanting to start birth control, having painful periods, or worrying about pregnancy or STDs.—
Dr. Jill Grimes,
CNN Money,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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When temperatures remain at or above 75 degrees Fahrenheit overnight, there is a 4% increase in preterm births — babies born before 37 weeks, instead of the full-term gestation of at least 39 weeks — in the days that follow, according to research conducted by the Heat Policy Innovation Hub.—
Jessica Meszaros,
Miami Herald,
3 Sep. 2025
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This afternoon, during a press conference, the filmmaker said the long-gestation project took the same amount of time to complete due to a lack of funds.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
29 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Family way.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/family%20way. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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