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
Kim Velsey, Curbed, 22 Sep. 2025
My eye was arrested by a couple of pairs in a stunning new shade, the purple of wisteria, sitting on an almost-out-of-the-way shelf.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2025
The out-of-the-way, squat brick building is appropriately dark inside, but clean and fairly spacious.
—Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, 14 Aug. 2025
Act 2 finds the trio ending their six-week engagement at an out-of-the-way Nashville bar.
—Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for out-of-the-way
Adjective
And Beekman Place, the tiny, out-of-the-way East River enclave favored by the old-money crowd since Shipman and her society cohort transformed it into a fashionable spot in the 1920s, largely fell out of favor around 2000.
—Kim Velsey, Curbed, 22 Sep. 2025
My eye was arrested by a couple of pairs in a stunning new shade, the purple of wisteria, sitting on an almost-out-of-the-way shelf.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2025
The out-of-the-way, squat brick building is appropriately dark inside, but clean and fairly spacious.
—Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, 14 Aug. 2025
Act 2 finds the trio ending their six-week engagement at an out-of-the-way Nashville bar.
—Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for out-of-the-way
Recent Examples of Synonyms for out-of-the-way
Adjective
-
Even its star, Kim Kardashian, is leaning into the bizarre criticism, posting photos on Instagram of herself laughing along with the rest of the cast, interspersed with scathing reviews.—
Rebecca Aizin,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
-
And calls like Payton’s bizarre third-and-1 trick play involving Courtland Sutton — a double pass that never came to be — aren’t helping.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
This translation by Nancy Naomi Carlson preserves the rich musicality of the original French, as well as its frequent use of wordplay and often unusual word choice.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Ostrich Leather Recognizable by its distinctive quill pattern and supple texture, ostrich leather combines durability with an unusual kind of beauty.—
Cortne Bonilla,
Vogue,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
But then something strange happened.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
-
This addictive, loping track is one of the best and strangest songs from the artist’s fifth album.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Engineers with PennDOT said the slide sent debris across both lanes of I-79 in an area where landslides are not uncommon.—
Patrick Damp,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Serious side effects are uncommon, but high-dose treatment for deficiency can occasionally cause low potassium levels.—
Karen Berger,
Verywell Health,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The then-unknown Michael Shannon, whose early career roles in Chicago were every bit as weird as this play, starred in that production.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
9 Jan. 2026
-
But this year, due to weird scheduling, the BAFTA nods will come out on January 27, after the Oscar nominations.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
To the contrary, though the film is frequently funny, Brewer takes their ambitions and reversals seriously.—
Peter Tonguette,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Hockey is a funny game sometimes.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Toronto netminder Dennis Hildeby stoned Trevor Zegras on a breakaway, and later made consecutive saves on Matvei Michkov and Sean Couturier to spring the odd-man rush that led to Cowan's goal.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The details of Cooper’s crime seemed too tempting to McNally, a high school dropout turned military-airplane electrician who’d pursued odd jobs and scams since being discharged.—
Johnny Dodd,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
These Hokas are the rare travel shoe that works across all ages, activity levels, and destinations.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Jan. 2026
-
The study offers rare, direct evidence of this process by tracking cool gas across entire galaxies, something that was not possible before large surveys like MaNGA.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Jan. 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 10 Jan. 2026.
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