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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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 7 Apr. 2026.
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