under way
Americanadjective
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Also (of a ship) no longer in port, at anchor, etc.; moving.
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no longer at rest, stationary, etc.; in motion; traveling.
We'll put our bags in the car and be under way.
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proceeding; in progress.
Plans are under way to sell the company.
adjective
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in progress; in operation
the show was under way
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nautical in motion
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In motion, as in The ship got under way at noon . [c. 1930]
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Already started, in progress, as in Plans are under way to expand . [c. 1930]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A fourth heatwave of the year is now under way for parts of the UK, with temperatures expected to climb into the mid-30s Celsius later this week.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Tehran, however, earlier denied that direct negotiations were under way, saying mediators were merely relaying messages from Washington.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
A manhunt involving helicopters and officers from several German states was under way across the capital on Sunday.
From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026
I asked Krishna if the shift, presumably under way for years, lagged behind his expectations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Once the unwinding is under way, a remarkable enzyme called DNA polymerase helps ensure that the copying works almost perfectly.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
