1
: unusual
out-of-the-way information
2
: being off the beaten track
an out-of-the-way restaurant

Examples of out-of-the-way in a Sentence

the night watchman calls the police if he notices any out-of-the-way activity taking place during his shift there was nothing out-of-the-way about the hitchhiker's appearance that might arouse suspicion
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The out-of-the-way, squat brick building is appropriately dark inside, but clean and fairly spacious. Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, 14 Aug. 2025 Act 2 finds the trio ending their six-week engagement at an out-of-the-way Nashville bar. Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 4 Aug. 2025 Others are hidden in some of the game's most out-of-the-way underground crevices and practically require the use of collectible in-game treasure maps to find. ArsTechnica, 16 July 2025 Named for their out-of-the-way location compared to Nassau, the Out Islands combined welcomed 40% less visitors than Nassau on New Providence Island in 2019. Carley Rojas Ávila, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for out-of-the-way

Word History

First Known Use

1704, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of out-of-the-way was in 1704

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Out-of-the-way.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/out-of-the-way. Accessed 25 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

out-of-the-way

adjective
ˌau̇t-ə(v)-t͟hə-ˈwā
1
: being off the usual paths
an out-of-the-way village
2
: not commonly found or met : unusual
the store specializes in out-of-the-way books
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!