1
as in bizarre
different from the ordinary in a way that causes curiosity or suspicion
the night watchman calls the police if he notices any out-of-the-way activity taking place during his shift
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unusual
noticeably different from what is generally found or experienced
there was nothing out-of-the-way about the hitchhiker's appearance that might arouse suspicion
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
out of the way
2 of 2phrase
1
as in up
brought or having come to an end
Now that we've got the first step out of the way it's time to start phase two.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in inappropriate
not appropriate for a particular occasion or situation
They hoped he wouldn't say anything out of the way at the party.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of out-of-the-way
Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 1 Apr. 2026
His character is more maneuverable, and that creates situations where players can test out the traversal mechanics to grab an out-of-the-way power-up or switches that open inaccessible treasure chests.
—Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2026
By 2019, Virginia photographer John Plashal caught wind of what was disintegrating on Hankins' out-of-the-way acres.
—Danielle Paquette The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 17 Feb. 2026
Alternative culture stores and venues are usually located in out-of-the-way areas.
—Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for out-of-the-way
Adjective
Floating alone where the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans meet, this island nation was long considered too out-of-the-way for travelers … until airlines like Icelandair started luring Americans with cheap flights to Europe that included a stopover in Iceland.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 1 Apr. 2026
His character is more maneuverable, and that creates situations where players can test out the traversal mechanics to grab an out-of-the-way power-up or switches that open inaccessible treasure chests.
—Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2026
By 2019, Virginia photographer John Plashal caught wind of what was disintegrating on Hankins' out-of-the-way acres.
—Danielle Paquette The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 17 Feb. 2026
Alternative culture stores and venues are usually located in out-of-the-way areas.
—Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for out-of-the-way
Recent Examples of Synonyms for out-of-the-way
Adjective
-
Bischoff found the whole situation bizarre.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The results were colorful, bursting with shapes and patterns, but often totally bizarre.—
Gabe Montesanti,
PEOPLE,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
They were both struck by the unusual culture in Steubenville.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Player news becomes national news, entire communities grind to a halt to watch games, and shops post unusual hours that suspiciously align with the match schedule.—
Tribune Content Agency,
Baltimore Sun,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Getty Images With five weeks of Europe’s biggest domestic league seasons left to play, all kinds of strange scorelines are starting to roll in.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2026
-
The end of kayfabe brought about a strange artistic flourishing—wrestling postmodernism.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
These monikers range from classics like Robin and Lucy to more uncommon names like Oran and Valo.—
Erica Jackson Curran,
Parents,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The company added that reports of rashes with bleeding have been described anecdotally by clinical trial investigators and are considered uncommon.—
Angelica Peebles,
CNBC,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This had to be a weird clerical mistake.—
John McPhee,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Her idea of architecture has always been a little weird.—
Jerry Saltz,
Vulture,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Plus, some of my stickers are just funny.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Big-hearted and sharply funny, Lucy Schulman is a charming comedic coming-of-age story from multihyphenate Tribeca alum Ellie Sachs.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In Ukraine, using religious rhetoric in elections would seem odd, even inappropriate.—
Nataliya Gumenyuk,
The Dial,
21 Apr. 2026
-
At first blush Ternus might seem an odd choice for that AI future.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Golinski was more confident when the ball met the bat than Kirk was, so there was no posing or admiring the rare shot.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Apr. 2026
-
The Latest Estonia’s government criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy over his warning that Russia could be preparing to attack the Baltic states, a rare rebuke from one of Kyiv’s staunchest allies.—
Suzanne Lynch,
Bloomberg,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Out-of-the-way.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/out-of-the-way. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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