way 1 of 2

noun

ˈwā How to pronounce way (audio)
Definition of waynext
1
as in road
a passage cleared for public vehicular travel the town honored the local sports hero by naming after him a short way connecting two shopping centers

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in habit
a usual manner of behaving or doing she's set in her ways and is not about to change

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in path
an established course for traveling from one place to another took the regular way to work

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in tendency
an established pattern of behavior that's just his way, so pay him no mind

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in room
an extent or area available for or used up by some activity or thing made way for them to pass

Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in route
the direction along which something or someone moves go the same way that the school bus does

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7
as in approach
the means or procedure for doing something figured out the best way to accomplish the task

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8
as in doorway
the opening through which one can enter or leave a structure we came in the back way

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9
as in option
the power, right, or opportunity to choose have it your way

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
10
as in distance
the space or amount of space between two points, lines, surfaces, or objects it's just a little way down the road

Synonyms & Similar Words

way

2 of 2

adverb

as in very
to a great degree "Oh, I'm just way thrilled to be here!" the pageant contestant gushed

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word way different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of way are fashion, manner, method, mode, and system. While all these words mean "the means taken or procedure followed in achieving an end," way is very general and may be used for any of the preceding words.

has her own way of doing things

In what contexts can fashion take the place of way?

Although the words fashion and way have much in common, fashion may suggest a peculiar or characteristic way of doing something.

rushing about in his typical fashion

How are the words manner and mode related as synonyms of way?

Manner is close to mode but may imply a procedure or method that is individual or distinctive.

an odd manner of conducting

When would method be a good substitute for way?

The synonyms method and way are sometimes interchangeable, but method implies an orderly logical arrangement usually in steps.

effective teaching methods

Where would mode be a reasonable alternative to way?

The words mode and way are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, mode implies an order or course followed by custom, tradition, or personal preference.

the preferred mode of transportation

When might system be a better fit than way?

In some situations, the words system and way are roughly equivalent. However, system suggests a fully developed or carefully formulated method often emphasizing rational orderliness.

a filing system

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 way
Noun
One could be forgiven in thinking, then, that Lamborghini has even more SUVs on the way. — Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 8 Apr. 2025 Keep your iron clamped all the way down the length of your hair. — Lisa Desantis, Glamour, 8 Apr. 2025
Adverb
The market understands that Trump is way out over his skis on this, and is going to send him a message this week hammering that home (S&P flirting with bear market territory this morning). — John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025 Hiromi and Feraud coyly dialogued in the same movement: Feraud strummed way up the neck of his electric bass, and Hiromi, ever witty, mimicked him by flicking the strings of her Yamaha concert grand. — Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for way
Recent Examples of Synonyms for way
  1. road
  2. habit
  3. path
  4. tendency
  5. room
  6. route
  7. approach
  8. doorway
Noun
  • The back-bone contusion that prematurely ended his 2024-25 campaign after 30 games stemmed from a fall during a Mar. 19 road win vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves.
    — Bobby Krivitsky, Forbes.com, 1 Apr. 2025
  • While officials were on the scene, a second victim reported a similar incident that occurred on a nearby road.
    — Megan Forrester, ABC News, 31 Mar. 2025
Definition of road
Noun
  • Adopt or maintain healthy habits: Stress and illness can trigger allergic asthma.
    — Verywell Health, Verywell Health, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Other challenges include evolving habits and the need to bring decorative lighting back into focus, reaffirming its role in contemporary interiors.
    — Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 8 Apr. 2025
Definition of habit
Noun
  • Considering their remaining schedules, there’s a practical path to the Warriors moving into the third or fourth spot.
    — Anthony Slater, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2025
  • In a world where many leaders feel compelled to perform—mirroring what’s expected rather than leading from within—Piyush chose another path.
    — Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
Definition of path
Noun
  • Traveling East might have been an appropriate tendency for early humans living in what is now Europe near the end of the Ice Age.
    — Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Understanding Home Bias As mentioned before, home bias is the tendency to over-invest in your home country.
    — Cicely Jones, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Definition of tendency
Noun
  • Inside, retreat from the sun to rooms lined with stone floors and bathed in calming neutrals.
    — Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 5 Apr. 2025
  • The Amazon best-selling purifier can clean air to every corner of a room up to 1095 sq. ft.
    — Nora Colomer, FOXNews.com, 5 Apr. 2025
Definition of room
Noun
  • On Thursday, Palmer caught a touchdown running a wheel route.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Apr. 2025
  • By 1928, only one veteran walked the parade route while the rest rode in cars or in the backs of trucks.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Apr. 2025
Definition of route
Noun
  • Gill agrees that this approach is potentially promising.
    — Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 8 Apr. 2025
  • This approach allows the system to generate new frames on demand rather than following traditional rendering rules.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 8 Apr. 2025
Definition of approach
Noun
  • This approval is a significant step forward and should open the doorway to a therapy that has clear clinical advantages for the patient with mCRPC who has progressed on one ARPI and has not received chemotherapy.
    — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 6 Apr. 2025
  • But the steps are at an angle to the canvas, giving the composition a sort of twist that makes the view upward toward the waiting feline and the doorway behind feel slightly disorienting.
    — Barry Schwabsky, Artforum, 1 Apr. 2025
Definition of doorway

Phrases Containing way

Browse Nearby Words

waxy
way
wayfarer
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Cite this Entry

“Way.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/way. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.

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