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
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 out-of-the-way
Carley Rojas Ávila, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
With a smartphone camera rolling, Patrick confronted employees of an out-of-the-way retail store that sold the winning ticket for the $83.5 million Lotto Texas jackpot, which was then provided to the actual player by a third-party vendor.
—John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
Its business model is to connect travelers in cities that have little or no nonstop service, thus sparing folks from having to change planes in out-of-the-way hubs.
—Chris Dong, AFAR Media, 24 July 2025
According to The Old Farmer's Almanac, larvae and pupae can be found in out-of-the-way places like door hinges, backs of door knobs, and corners of wire baskets, underneath shelves, and around the edges of jar lids, cans, and non-food items also stored in your pantry or cupboard.
—Lauren Wicks, Southern Living, 19 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for out-of-the-way
Adjective
Named for their out-of-the-way location compared to Nassau, the Out Islands combined welcomed 40% less visitors than Nassau on New Providence Island in 2019.
—Carley Rojas Ávila, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
With a smartphone camera rolling, Patrick confronted employees of an out-of-the-way retail store that sold the winning ticket for the $83.5 million Lotto Texas jackpot, which was then provided to the actual player by a third-party vendor.
—John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
Its business model is to connect travelers in cities that have little or no nonstop service, thus sparing folks from having to change planes in out-of-the-way hubs.
—Chris Dong, AFAR Media, 24 July 2025
According to The Old Farmer's Almanac, larvae and pupae can be found in out-of-the-way places like door hinges, backs of door knobs, and corners of wire baskets, underneath shelves, and around the edges of jar lids, cans, and non-food items also stored in your pantry or cupboard.
—Lauren Wicks, Southern Living, 19 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for out-of-the-way
Recent Examples of Synonyms for out-of-the-way
Adjective
-
The indictment of Adams’ former top advisor came a day after another member of Adams’ inner circle became embroiled in a bizarre apparent bribery attempt involving a news reporter.—
Gloria Pazmino,
CNN Money,
21 Aug. 2025
-
This week: Taylor Swift’s announcement of her upcoming 12th album leads to streaming gains across her catalog, Cardi B helps a Jay-Z fan favorite find new life, a 20-year-old metal cut goes viral for bizarre reasons and more.—
Jason Lipshutz,
Billboard,
20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Although unusual, this display is likely not going to be as strong as 2024’s extreme G5 geomagnetic storms, the most powerful for two decades.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
31 Aug. 2025
-
While the sight might not have been unusual a few weeks prior, Garcia's neighbors had notably packed up and moved out several days earlier, leaving the property completely empty, aside from the mysterious brown dog.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
People.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Death Valley’s Racetrack Playa is home to some very strange rocks.—
Andrew Paul Aug 14,
Popular Science,
14 Aug. 2025
-
What begins as a strange ritual quickly unravels into a waking nightmare.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
While rainbow snakes are not venomous, snake bites are not uncommon in the United States, with approximately 7,000 to 8,000 people bitten by venomous snakes across the country annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
23 Aug. 2025
-
This dog's choice of eating grass over running at the park isn't uncommon, but the reason still remains unclear, with several theories floating around, according to an article from PetMD.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Two-tone paint job and that weird hump of a trunk, remember?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Aug. 2025
-
Like everybody else in the show, he’s squeezed by the various, weird incentives of a capitalist medical system.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Ramirez described Flores as a humble, funny and caring person.—
Gina Lee Castro,
jsonline.com,
24 Aug. 2025
-
Scattered Thoughts: The digs at 30 Seconds To Mars were funny and telling.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Despite the odd breaks in the game, Nakase credited the crowd for keeping the energy high.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
1 Sep. 2025
-
That’s my oddest honest reaction to the show so far.—
Lexy Perez,
HollywoodReporter,
31 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Wisconsin will have a big statewide campaign without an incumbent, which is rare enough.—
Craig Gilbert,
jsonline.com,
26 Aug. 2025
-
Human cases are relatively rare these days, though counts are growing in some parts of South America.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
25 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Out-of-the-way.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/out-of-the-way. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share