1
a
: a thoroughfare for travel or transportation from place to place
b
: an opening for passage
this door is the only way out of the room
2
: the course traveled from one place to another : route
asked the way to the museum
3
a
: a course (such as a series of actions or sequence of events) leading in a direction or toward an objective
led the way to eventual open heart operations—
Current Biography
Current Biography
b(1)
: a course of action
took the easy way out
(2)
: opportunity, capability, or fact of doing as one pleases
always manages to get her own way
c
: a possible decision, action, or outcome : possibility
they were rude—no two ways about it
4
5
a
: characteristic, regular, or habitual manner or mode of being, behaving, or happening
knows nothing of the ways of women
b
: ability to get along well or perform well
she has a way with kids
a way with words
6
: the length of a course : distance
has come a long way in her studies
still have a way to go
7
: movement or progress along a course
worked her way up the corporate ladder
8
a
: direction
is coming this way
b
: participant
—usually used in combination
three-way discussion
10
a
ways plural in form but sometimes singular in construction
: an inclined structure upon which a ship is built or supported in launching
b
ways plural
: the guiding surfaces on the bed of a machine along which a table or carriage moves
11
12
: motion or speed of a ship or boat through the water
: of, connected with, or constituting an intermediate point on a route
1
informal
a
: by a long distance : to a considerable degree or extent : far
is way ahead of the class
sat way in the back row
b
: by far : much
ate way too much
that's way too expensive
c
: very sense 1
way cool
way excited
2
: all the way
pull the switch way back
Phrases
all the way
: to the full or entire extent : as far as possible
ran all the way home
seated all the way in the back
: by way of interjection or digression : incidentally
1
: for the purpose of
2
: by the route through : via
1
: within limits : with reservations
2
: from one point of view
1
: in a position to be encountered by one : in or along one's course
an opportunity had been put in my way—Ellen Glasgow
Ellen Glasgow2
: in a position to hinder or obstruct
: moving along in one's course : in progress
2
a
: in or to a secluded place
b
: unusual, remarkable
there's nothing out of the way about the plan
1
: in view of the manner in which
you'd think she was rich, the way she spends money
: of long standing
friends from way back
Synonyms
Noun
- arterial
- artery
- avenue
- boulevard
- carriageway [British]
- drag
- drive
- expressway
- freeway
- high road
- highway
- pass
- pike
- road
- roadway
- route
- row
- street
- thoroughfare
- thruway
- trace
- turnpike
Adverb
- achingly
- almighty
- archly
- awful
- awfully
- badly
- beastly
- blisteringly
- bone
- colossally
- corking
- cracking
- damn
- damned
- dang
- deadly
- desperately
- eminently
- enormously
- especially
- ever
- exceedingly
- exceeding
- extra
- extremely
- fabulously
- fantastically
- far
- fiercely
- filthy
- frightfully
- full
- greatly
- heavily
- highly
- hugely
- immensely
- incredibly
- intensely
- jolly
- majorly
- mightily
- mighty
- monstrous [chiefly dialect]
- mortally
- most
- much
- particularly
- passing
- rattling
- real
- really
- right
- roaring
- roaringly
- seriously
- severely
- so
- sore
- sorely
- spanking
- specially
- stinking
- such
- super
- supremely
- surpassingly
- terribly
- that
- thumping
- too
- unco
- uncommonly
- vastly
- very
- vitally
- whacking
- wicked
- wildly
Examples of way in a Sentence
Noun
We'll try doing it your way first.
Let me explain it this way.
You can pay for your purchase in one of two ways: by cash or by credit card.
Which door is the way in?
The back way was blocked.
This door is the only way out of the room.
Adverb
He is way ahead of the other runners.
They live way out in the country.
We sat way back in the last row.
I missed a week of class and fell way behind.
Your parents are way cool.
Recent Examples on the Web
Laura Bradley, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
That’s one way to explain the absence of Donald Trump’s wife from a curious new election-night Trump family photo, posted to X by Donald Trump Jr.’s daughter Kai.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
Kelsey Stiegman, Seventeen, 6 Dec. 2022
The multi-way stretch fabric truly moves with you while maintaining its compression.
—Cai Cramer, Peoplemag, 13 Sep. 2022
Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 4 Nov. 2024
And so commentary on the behaviors and preferences of this cohort tend to start at one or other of the edges, only for another data set to rear its head from way over on the flip side of the same coin.
—Christian Davies Fcsd, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for way 
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.
Noun
Grey’s Anatomy Night Moves Season 21 Episode 6 Editor’s Rating 3 stars ***
«Previous Next
There are two ways a person can leave Grey’s Anatomy.
—Laura Bradley, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
That’s one way to explain the absence of Donald Trump’s wife from a curious new election-night Trump family photo, posted to X by Donald Trump Jr.’s daughter Kai.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
Adjective
Customers rave about these bags for their perfect size, sturdiness, detachable bottom, and multi-way straps.
—Kelsey Stiegman, Seventeen, 6 Dec. 2022
The multi-way stretch fabric truly moves with you while maintaining its compression.
—Cai Cramer, Peoplemag, 13 Sep. 2022
Adverb
And the benefits go way beyond keeping you regular, though that is one big advantage.
—Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 4 Nov. 2024
And so commentary on the behaviors and preferences of this cohort tend to start at one or other of the edges, only for another data set to rear its head from way over on the flip side of the same coin.
—Christian Davies Fcsd, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for way
Articles Related to way
Dictionary Entries Near way
Cite this Entry
“Way.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/way. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
way
1 of 2 noun1
a
: a track for travel : path
b
: an opening for passage (as through a crowd or a gate)
no way out
2
a
: a course traveled : route
b
: direction sense 3
come this way
the wrong way
3
a
: a course of action
chose the easy way
b
: opportunity or power of doing as one pleases
have your own way
c
: possibility sense 1
there are no two ways about it
4
a
: the manner in which something is done or happens
this way of thinking
a new way of painting
b
: a noticeable part or detail
a good worker in many ways
c
: state entry 1 sense 1a
the way things are
5
: a particular or typical manner of behavior
it's just his way
has a nice way with his pets
6
a
: distance entry 1 sense 1b
a short way down the road
b
: progress along a course
earning her way through school
made her way with difficulty
7
: locality
visit when you are out our way
8
: category sense 1
get what you need in the way of supplies
way
2 of 2 adverb1
informal
a
: far entry 1 sense 1
is way ahead of the class
b
: far entry 1 sense 2
ate way too much
c
: very entry 2 sense 2
way cool
2
: all the way
pull the switch way back
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