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
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
The out-of-the-way, squat brick building is appropriately dark inside, but clean and fairly spacious.
—Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for out-of-the-way
Adjective
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
The out-of-the-way, squat brick building is appropriately dark inside, but clean and fairly spacious.
—Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for out-of-the-way
Recent Examples of Synonyms for out-of-the-way
Adjective
-
In that sense, the content lives to its title as a collection of larger-than-life bizarre elements.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Minutes before his interview started, Cutler, alone in the interview room, had done something completely bizarre.—
Marcelena Spencer,
CBS News,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Ice cream, water fights, kind people who aren’t weird and don’t smell unusual.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Friday, an unusual time for such events on the island.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
It’s been a strange season in City Section soccer, with six schools removed from the playoffs for using ineligible players, most of whom played for club teams while also playing tor their high school team, in violation of CIF bylaw 600.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
-
For now, Moltbook remains a strange but revealing glimpse into how AI agents might interact in the future.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Beneath the vines lie calcareous clay and limestone—formations uncommon in California and long associated with Bordeaux’s historic Cabernet vineyards.—
Robb Report Studio,
Robb Report,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The species typically grows in grasslands that have been gently managed over long periods and support diverse wildlife — habitats where decades of light intervention create conditions for uncommon species to take hold.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
What made this Aztecs season unusually weird?—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Mar. 2026
-
That is a super weird way to descend an A-frame net.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
For most of the evening, the mood is darkly funny and a little ominous, as the siblings take undermining jabs and the in-laws roll their eyes.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Would that kind of thing have seemed funny at the time, or maybe a clever way to avoid a topic either too personal or too fraught for out-group consumption?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The occasional odd campaign moment and foot-in-mouth gaff didn't help – neither did Jordan getting top honors from his fellow thespians at the Actor Awards.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
-
There's no sight of the near-mythical paiche—an air-breathing fish native to the Amazon basin that can grow to more than 13 feet in length—nor any odd-looking mammals such as the tapir.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The drug's current FDA label covers leucovorin's use in reducing side effects of certain chemotherapy drugs and treating a rare blood disorder.—
MATTHEW PERRONE THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
11 Mar. 2026
-
That plus-8 goal differential places the club in rare company.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 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 17 Mar. 2026.
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