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
  • On the county board, Miller led efforts in 2024 to fund a free countywide doula program for high-risk pregnancies and supported the county’s medical debt relief initiative.
    — Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Mothers are given a lot of advice about vaccinations during pregnancy and in their baby’s first year, but grandparents may not have those same kind of check-ins with their doctors.
    — Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of pregnancy
Noun
  • African elephants have a gestation period of 22 months, the zoo said.
    — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 29 Oct. 2026
  • It is also recommended for all pregnant people between 32 and 36 weeks' gestation.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 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 5 Nov. 2026.

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