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
Others are hidden in some of the game's most out-of-the-way underground crevices and practically require the use of collectible in-game treasure maps to find.
—ArsTechnica, 16 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
Others are hidden in some of the game's most out-of-the-way underground crevices and practically require the use of collectible in-game treasure maps to find.
—ArsTechnica, 16 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for out-of-the-way
Recent Examples of Synonyms for out-of-the-way
Adjective
-
But upon Bennet’s arrival, things take a turn for the bizarre, when the wealthy tycoon builds himself a prison cell in the basement, in an apparent act of meditative penance that forces Blakey into an inversion of traditional power dynamics.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Tasked with bringing into reality those that are a little further down on the bizarre end of the spectrum, the show’s prosthetics and VFX teams had their work cut out for them.—
Lisa de los Reyes,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Because our mulch is rubber, this seemed unusual, and out of caution, the guardian was called immediately.—
Latoya Gayle,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Routh, who is representing himself, has filed unusual motions requesting strippers and a golf round with the president.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The combination of strange comments, a clear lack of education and experience, and a disturbing personal history with mental health struggles and domestic problems doomed his campaign.—
Kimberly Ross,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Coon admitted that their daughter has also taken up a strange favorite film.—
Avalon Hester,
PEOPLE,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The workers may be shackled or handcuffed, and torture is not uncommon.—
Christine Ro,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
-
While that's not uncommon, Powell warned that Snitker might regret that decision as Acuna has earned the right to hold onto a leading spot amid a slump.—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The second reason is that these aura battler designs were very complex and full of curves as well as weird angles.—
Ollie Barder,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Things get weird, however, when the lines between science fiction and fantasy start to blur.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Zambians are warm, funny, proud.—
Daniel Scheffler,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Darkly funny and deeply melancholic, the film turns the family estate into a pressure cooker of grief, grudges and reluctant affection.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
So, Hilleary will be in the odd position of facing a significant pay cut for getting a big promotion on Capitol Hill.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The iPhone Air Only Supports USB 2 Speeds The iPhone Air is relatively full-featured for such a thin phone, but Apple did make some odd compromises.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
About 18 vehicles, including a number of rare barn find cars, were auctioned from the collection.—
Eric D. Lawrence,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
-
That kind of attention feels rare now.—
Daniel Scheffler,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 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 13 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share