a long way

noun

: a great distance
Their house is a long way (away) from here.
She went a long way to see him.
—often used figuratively in various phrases
These changes will go a long way toward/towards making the system more efficient.
We've done a lot of work already, but we have a long way to go.

Examples of a long way in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But that is still a long way from programmable tattoos becoming available at your local parlour. — Mike McRae 09, New Atlas, 9 Oct. 2026 These probes can take a long time, and AI companies are a long way from any finding of wrongdoing. — Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 8 Oct. 2026 Astronomy and stargazing have come a long way in recent years, with the popularisation of smart telescopes and beginners being able to capture deep-sky wonders easily. — Harry Bennett, Space.com, 7 Oct. 2026 Zuckerberg is desperate to diversify away from online ads, which still account for almost all of the company's revenue, and he's got a long way to go to prove that Muse can be a key piece of that effort. — Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for a long way

Rhymes for a long way

See All Rhymes for a long way

Browse Nearby Words

a long time coming
a long way
a long way to go
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“A long way.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20long%20way. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of deportment

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All