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
Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026
As for where to decorate, focus on your TV stand, end tables, and kitchen table, the most high-traffic but out-of-the-way areas.
—Maddie Topliff, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Nov. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for out-of-the-way
Adjective
Alternative culture stores and venues are usually located in out-of-the-way areas.
—Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026
As for where to decorate, focus on your TV stand, end tables, and kitchen table, the most high-traffic but out-of-the-way areas.
—Maddie Topliff, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Nov. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for out-of-the-way
Recent Examples of Synonyms for out-of-the-way
Adjective
-
The goggles, the GPS address and the laptop — all of it was strong evidence supporting the bizarre story Denise and Aaron had been telling all along.—
Lauren Clark,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
His YouTube page, once an online venue for his songs, was more recently dedicated to paranoid rants about his family members, some centering on his relationship with his grandfather, and others where Valdez displayed bizarre behavior like imitating Nazi soldiers.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
When a series of tragic failures at New Era Community Health Center left scores of the county’s weakest, poorest and most erratic residents in danger, Florida health inspectors took the unusual step of threatening to shut down the home.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
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Many of Barbosa’s followers know him for his unusual feats like holding the Guinness World Record for the fastest visits to every CTA station or sprinting through the United Center during a Bulls game.—
Audrey Pachuta,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Some 18 months ago, Mack said, the Royals launched a deep dive after Picollo broached the possibility of exploring strange new worlds.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
-
But rather than avoiding strange quantum phenomena such as superposition and entanglement, Bennett and Brassard embraced them.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Such mistakes should be uncommon for this group.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Little was charged with Cizek's murder, despite authorities not being able to locate his body, which is an uncommon step in a homicide case.—
Jennifer McRae,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Everyone got obsessed with weird things in the pandemic, like jigsaw puzzles or baking sourdough.—
Kate Bradshaw,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Running a restaurant can do some weird things to your head.—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
There’s a funny reason why the pain flares in your upper face and forehead, a bit of a distance from the area responsible for the cold.—
Julia Daye,
Popular Science,
2 Apr. 2026
-
As funny as her life seems, like everyone's, serious moments pepper the comedy.—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Humor about the pickle often stems from its distinctiveness—its tangy, assertive flavor and odd appearance lend themselves to exaggerated, whimsical depictions.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Indeed, the evening was so odd that even the famously reclusive poet Robinson Jeffers, who rarely attended parties, left home to experience the spectacle for himself.—
Serena Turner,
Vanity Fair,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The decision drew immediate fire from El-Sayed's primary opponents and national Democratic figures, forcing a rare public reckoning over how far the party should go to recapture young men who abandoned it in record numbers in 2024.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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That would be a rare bit of good news from our embrace of AI.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
31 Mar. 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 3 Apr. 2026.
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