OUT OF THE WAY Synonyms: 267 Similar and Opposite Words

out-of-the-way 1 of 2

adjective

ˌau̇t-ə(v)-t͟hə-ˈwā

Definition of out-of-the-way

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

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 2

phrase

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

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

Adjective

The out-of-the-way restaurant became an international destination spot, not just for gourmands but for intellectuals, artists, and celebrities including Burt Lancaster, Gerard Depardieu, and Robert De Niro. — Tony Sachs, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026 Bald-faced hornet nests that are high up in trees or in an out-of-the-way place pose no danger. — Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026 Along Fence Lines and Retaining Walls Poison ivy grows best in out-of-the-way spaces that aren’t disturbed regularly. — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Aug. 2026 The real challenge became luring travelers off the main highway to their out-of-the-way, mountaintop garden. — Judith Garrison, AJC.com, 16 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for out-of-the-way

Recent Examples of Synonyms for out-of-the-way

Adjective

The cookie shops have a rotating menu of cookies with elaborate toppings, sometimes offering bizarre flavors such as everything bagel.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Skerritt co-starred opposite Kathy Baker, playing his doctor wife in the community of Rome, Wisconsin, a place with bizarre happenings, like having a robber leaving a trail of frogs or the pope becoming the primary witness to a murder.

— CBS News, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of bizarre

Adjective

Alexi’s script gets to the heart of the strange, necessary bonds between humans and animals.

— Alex Ritman, Variety, 30 Oct. 2026
Something in the movement of his hands, too fast, too smooth, too precise, and something in the play of the light and shadow across his knuckles, reveals that something strange is at work.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of strange

Adjective

Prescription treatments are also uncommon, given to fewer than 1 in 1,000 adolescents who have commercial insurance, according to another study.

— Bram Sable-Smith, NPR, 29 Oct. 2026
To be clear, praying for political leaders is hardly novel or uncommon, and the bishops who prayed for blessings could just as easily have been doing so for any supplicant.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of uncommon

Adjective

Divorced from the context of a map, Texas' congressional districts might just look like a collection of funny shapes.

— CBS News, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026
China did not find anything funny about the French star laughing at a meme of Mao, the communist dictator whose regime resulted in tens of millions of deaths.

— Mark Harris OutKick, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of funny

Adjective

Anyway, aside from the odd finish, what the Bowl audience got in the broader sense was far from an anticlimax in the overall scheme of things.

— Chris Willman, Variety, 30 Oct. 2026
His other weapon was his voice, at once coldly precise and dangerously soft; never before had Malkovich’s distinctly odd cadences sounded so menacing.

— Justin Chang, New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of odd

Adjective

Voting by noncitizens and fraud involving mail ballots are both rare.

— Aoife Walsh, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
Back in 2023, Stevens revealed he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome—a rare auto-immune disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the nerves—and was working to relearn how to walk and use his hands.

— Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of rare

Browse Nearby Words

out of sorts

out-of-the-way

out of the way

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Out-of-the-way.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/out-of-the-way. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of out-of-the-way

adjective

phrase

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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