un·der·way
ˌən-dər-ˈwā 
: occurring, performed, or used while traveling or in motion
underway replenishment of fuel
variants
or less commonly under way
1
: in motion : not at anchor or aground
The ship was underway at dawn.
2
: into motion from a standstill
The train should be underway again soon.
3
: in progress : happening now
Preparations for the celebration are already underway.
A search is underway.
The season got underway with a bang.
Synonyms
Examples of underway in a Sentence
Adverb
construction of the new shopping mall is under way
Recent Examples on the Web
Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 29 May 2024
Efforts to preserve some of the community’s history have been underway — a portion of the area has been designated Little Bahamas, for example.
—C. Isaiah Smalls Ii, Miami Herald, 29 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for underway 
Adjective
The official start of summer may not be until the end of June, but with Memorial Day in the rearview mirror, the natural shift to enjoying more time outdoors is underway.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 29 May 2024
Efforts to preserve some of the community’s history have been underway — a portion of the area has been designated Little Bahamas, for example.
—C. Isaiah Smalls Ii, Miami Herald, 29 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for underway
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'underway.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near underway
Cite this Entry
“Underway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underway. Accessed 1 Jun. 2024.
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