under way

American  

adjective

1. Also (of a ship) no longer in port, at anchor, etc.; moving.

2. no longer at rest, stationary, etc.; in motion; traveling.

   We'll put our bags in the car and be under way.

3. proceeding; in progress.

   Plans are under way to sell the company.

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under way British  

adjective

1. in progress; in operation

   the show was under way

2. nautical in motion

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under way Idioms  

1. In motion, as in The ship got under way at noon . [c. 1930]

2. Already started, in progress, as in Plans are under way to expand . [c. 1930]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

under way

Dhami said, external a joint rescue operation was under way involving the district administration, disaster management department and State Disaster Response Force.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

For instance, efforts are under way to grow cocoa trees in places to which they’re not native, like Latin America.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

LZB has been gradually replaced with a newer signaling system, an upgrade that was under way in the Madrid-Seville line.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

Nduhungirehe also confirmed that discussions were under way on the creation of a so-called "return hub" in Rwanda for migrants expelled from the European Union countries.

From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026

The train was more than an hour late, and the fresh, bright summer morning was well under way when they arrived.

From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers

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