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
Zoe Gowen, Southern Living, 8 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
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
See All Example Sentences for out-of-the-way
Adjective
Save them for out-of-the-way areas in your garden, or use a different vine.
—Zoe Gowen, Southern Living, 8 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
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
See All Example Sentences for out-of-the-way
Recent Examples of Synonyms for out-of-the-way
Adjective
-
The troubled production resulted in a bizarre cyberpunk schlock-flick that felt far removed from what most fans understood Mario to be.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Since the border is not straight but snakes along old county lines, some of the journey was bizarre.—
Colm Tóibín,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Wen says that such unusual shapes could be useful in making a lab-on-a-chip for cell biology or drug development.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
9 Apr. 2026
-
At 516 feet in width, the unusual structure is roughly 22,000 times smaller than the actual Moon, which with a diameter of 2,159 miles could roughly fit the contiguous United States across one of its halves from east to west.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Stars wield power in professional sports, and that power can lead to some strange requests of their employers.—
Joe Vardon,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Pocahontas will arrive with her very own Yehakin and help unravel the mystery behind a strange phenomenon affecting the Moon and the tides around the Valley.—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
How Guthrie will specifically handle her moment cannot yet be known, but those who know her (that The Hollywood Reporter spoke with) say it will surely be done with uncommon levels of grace and professionalism.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Apr. 2026
-
With attacks on health care workers not uncommon, most safety officers at major Massachusetts hospitals have defensive tools.—
Cheryl Fiandaca,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But coming into print is a weird transformation.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Capri Pants Capri pants, which had a moment in the 1950s and ’60s, and then again in the late ’90s and early 2000s, are one of those weird garments that shouldn’t work but somehow just do–especially with a little low-rise heel and a spaghetti strap top.—
Daisy Jones,
Vogue,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Levy arcs his character’s growing exasperation in a way that’s funny, if somewhat limited.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Deborah and Ava get to develop while their process, for the most part, remains the same — and remains funny.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
To strike that balance, the characters had to be funny and a little odd but also warm and genuinely fond of one another, enough that the hero would think, This is worth preserving.—
Angelina Mazza,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2026
-
That was something McGuire said that seemed odd.—
Amelia Mugavero,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Ravensbergen is a rare southpaw as a right-catching goalie (coincidentally, as is Askarov).—
Scott Wheeler,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
-
On the rare occasions a teammate passed him the ball, Knueppel would duck and let the ball skitter out of bounds.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
8 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 11 Apr. 2026.
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