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way out

way out

2.0
An exit like a door that you use to leave a place
  • noun
  • /weɪ aʊt/
translation icon : salida
  • Is there another way out beside the front door?
  • find a way out
  • look for a way out
  • the only way out

But occasionally there was a way out of this pattern.

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Examples

  • The emergency exit signs clearly indicate the way out during a fire drill.

  • Just be sure to lock the door on your way out.

  • What is the way out of that kind of situation?

  • We can find a way out of here together.

  • I'm telling you, there's a way out of this.

  • There seems to be no easy way out, and plausible arguments can be made on both sides.

    Academic text (2013)
  • Consequently, when he approached me on his way out, I wasn't surprised.

  • At the end of the hallway, I found the way out that led to the parking lot.

  • After hours of searching, they finally discovered a hidden way out of the maze.

Synonyms

door
vsway out
876 1.0

A way or chance to get something better, for example a job

is specifically about a physical opening to leave rather than any chance
exit
vsway out
363 1.0

An opening or way that lets people leave a place

is the same idea but expressed as the original multiword phrase
entry
vsway out
279 1.2

An opening or door used to go into a building

is narrower, stressing use for leaving or escaping rather than both
opening
vsway out
179 1.0

A space that lets people move through, for example a door

focuses on leaving a place specifically rather than any simple gap
fire escape
vsway out
51 2.7

A staircase or metal ladder on the outside of a building used to get out during a fire

covers leaving in any situation, not only fire or danger escapes
entryway
vsway out
18 2.6

A small area inside a building next to the front door where people enter

is focused on an exit opening rather than an entry focused passage
emergency exit
vsway out
17 2.6

A special door or stairway that lets people leave a building quickly in an emergency

is the general concept of leaving rather than an emergency feature
outlet
vsway out
16 2.8

An opening that lets water or gas flow out

applies to people leaving a place rather than to general outflow
escape hatch
vsway out
4 4.1

A small door in a vehicle or building that lets people get out quickly in an emergency

is a general exit opening rather than a tiny emergency hatch
outside door
vsway out
3 1.0

A door that leads from a building to the outside

is about an opening for leaving rather than the barrier itself
exterior door
vsway out
1 2.3

An entrance from the outside that people use to get into a building

is about an opening used to leave rather than a building barrier

Antonyms

468 1.0

A door or opening that lets people go into a place

How Accessible

way out
2.0
opening
179 1.0
door
876 1.0
entrance
468 1.0
gateway
75 2.8

Surface Forms

way out singular
ways out plural

Morphology

way + out

The meaning 'an exit or opening to leave' is directly derivable from 'way' (a route) + 'out' (away from the interior), forming a straightforward compositional phrase. This construction is common cross-linguistically and follows standard noun + directional particle patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily understand it.

Etymology

The noun way out comes from a simple picture of a path that leads out of a place, a way you can follow to get outside, like a door or passage with light beyond it. So, it means 'an exit' or a way to leave or escape.