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.
TOKYO—Rescue operations were under way at a shopping mall after a strong earthquake struck southern Japan on Tuesday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
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
The proposed structure reflects a shift under way in how the largest AI build-outs are being financed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 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
In astronomy, this process really gets under way with Tycho Brahe; in physics, with Pascal.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
