Today, let’s look at some English idiomatic expressions with WAY.
We usually use WAY when talking about direction.
- Which way is out?
- How can I find the way?
- Can you show me the way to the hotel or city centre?
However, the word WAY can be used in other ways in English!!
Here are some idiomatic expressions with WAY and common phrases.
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Harry
Idiomatic Expressions with Way
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in a bad way
Where somebody is sick or involved in an accident and injured the relatives will be anxious to understand how they are. Sometimes the news is not so good.
Example:
The doctor said he is in a bad way and it may be a few days before they know how sick he really is.
Intermediate to Advanced English Marathon
INSANITY: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
all the way
We use it when we want to show support or understanding, it means that we completely support someone.
Example:
If you want to bring it up with Carol, I’m with you all the way.
to get his/her way
This concerns children usually but not always.
It means .to do what you want or to get what you want
Example:
Pauls’s daughter is spoilt. Every time she wants something she begins to shout. She is always getting her own way.
to be/get under way
to start something; to make progress with something
Examples:
All three defendants were seated in a thick glass box as the trial got under way.
Everyone was looking for a greater opportunity as the century got under way.
12 English expressions with way
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on the way out
going out of fashion, not in demand anymore
Example:
Skinny jeans are on the way out.
in a roundabout way
When someone does not tell you in a straightforward or direct way or takes a long time to get to the point, we can say that they have a roundabout way of saying things.
Or when something is not straightforward and simple
Example:
You can add new fonts to your mobile phone, but you have to do it in a roundabout way.
Don’t give up, scroll down for 6 more expressions with Way.
12 English expressions with way
to give way on something
to stop resisting and to agree to do what someone else wants
Usually, this refers to someone who might be a little stubborn and never compromises or accepts he/she is wrong. We can use it in a negative and in a positive way.
Example:
Michael likes to discuss and argue. He is good at debating but he is not always right in his views. However, even when he is wrong he will not give way on something and accept he is incorrect.
to change your way
to stop behaving in a certain way, to stop doing what we are doing and improve our attitude or manners
Example:
Moving abroad will teach you lessons and change your way of thinking.
to have a way with somebody
to have a talent for or skill in dealing with somebody
Examples:
Tracey has a way with animals, and our dog loves her!
Adam has a way with people, jokes with his customer and is almost always in good humour.
where there’s a will, there’s a way
if someone wants something very much, they will always find a way to make it possible. You can achieve anything you set your mind to.
Example:
Sarah really wants to learn how to draw, but she hasn’t got enough time to do it.
Well, where there’s a will, there’s a way. I’m sure she’ll make time.
to have it both ways
you have to choose something, you can’t have advantages from two contradictory things at the same time
Example:
But he can’t have it both ways. He can’t live with her and with you. He needs to decide.
that’s the way the cookie crumbles
it is what it is; something undesirable has happened, and things must be accepted the way they are
Example:
Sorry to hear that Manchester United didn’t get into Champions League next season. But hat’s the way the cookie crumbles.
More Information
For more information on English idioms and phrases and common English expressions, check out the following links:
English Expressions about Success
Common Phrasal Verbs with OVER
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That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles meaning
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