under way
Americanadjective
-
Also (of a ship) no longer in port, at anchor, etc.; moving.
-
no longer at rest, stationary, etc.; in motion; traveling.
We'll put our bags in the car and be under way.
-
proceeding; in progress.
Plans are under way to sell the company.
adjective
-
in progress; in operation
the show was under way
-
nautical in motion
-
In motion, as in The ship got under way at noon . [c. 1930]
-
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.
The council said structural inspections and other investigations were under way to determine when it may be safe for residents to return to their properties.
From BBC • May 27, 2026
Containment and recovery operations are under way after a chemical tank in Longview, Wash., collapsed, leaving one person dead and nine missing.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026
But these are just the latest moves in a sustained rise in yields that has been under way since long-term interest rates bottomed at historic lows in 2020, during the worst of the Covid pandemic.
From Barron's • May 22, 2026
As Memorial Day weekend gets under way, gas is the most expensive it’s been all year — and prices at the pump will likely go even higher before they retreat.
From MarketWatch • May 22, 2026
The game was still under way when Eric moved over to the scanner and printer and printed out something semi-official- looking.
From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz
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.
