They are on their way vs They are in the way

The phrases 'they are on their way' and 'they are in the way' have different meanings and are not interchangeable. 'They are on their way' means that someone or something is currently traveling to a destination, while 'they are in the way' means that someone or something is obstructing or blocking a path.

Last updated: March 25, 2024 • 2916 views

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to indicate that someone or something is currently traveling to a destination.

"They are on their way"

This phrase is used to inform others that a person or group is en route to a particular place.

Examples:

I just got a call from them, and they are on their way to the party.
The package is on its way and should arrive tomorrow.
The team is on their way to the championship game.

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They are on their way with their new counsel.
They are on their way, they said they would be a couple of hours.
Yes, gentlemen, they are on their way in and no one can bring them back.
They are on their way from the Capital and will arrive within a month.
They are on their way to the playoffs.
They are on their way here now.
They are on their way to get Nomar now for an interview, and a sketch artist too.
They are on their way to Russia.
Cruz called the cops and they are on their way.
Yes, I contacted you because they are on their way, and it will be a while before they get there.
It's hard to imagine they are on their way to the scaffold...
He wanted me to let you know that they are on their way back, and they're bringing the salesgirl with them.
While it is common place that the regulator runs behind and most often only restricts substances when they are on their way out, the story of PFOS takes this to the extreme.
Foot of Canal, they are on their way to Broadway.
J. whereas southern Member States are having to accept asylum applications from irregular immigrants who are rescued when in distress whilst they are on their way to Europe,
whereas southern Member States are having to accept asylum applications from irregular immigrants who are rescued when in distress whilst they are on their way to Europe,
Those responsible are Milosevic and his government, for whom things are not complicated in the least, as they are on their way to getting what they want by fire and the sword.
I keep pacing up and down by the telephone in case they might ring to say they are on their way.
whereas southern Member States are having to accept asylum applications from irregular immigrants who are rescued when in distress whilst they are on their way to Europe,

Alternatives:

they are coming
they are en route
they are heading over
they are making their way
they are approaching

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to indicate that someone or something is obstructing or blocking a path.

"They are in the way"

This phrase is used to express that a person or object is hindering movement or progress.

Examples:

Please move your car; it's in the way.
The fallen tree is in the way, blocking the road.
Sorry, I didn't mean to be in the way.

Show examples from the web [+]

You, it, or they are in the way of me getting what I want.
The exceptions should refer to Regulation 1049/2001 to ensure that they are interpreted in the same way.
Why they are distributed in the way they are around the world.
They are given the impression that they are simply getting in the way of the staff and upsetting working arrangements by their presence.
As above, the exceptions should refer to Regulation 1049/2001 to ensure that they are interpreted in the same way.
As far as that goes there can be no danger, they are processed in the same way as everything else under regional policy.
If they are used in the right way, they can undeniably contribute to a better environment and increased employment.
They are in many ways the key to ensuring that the candidates are genuinely ready for full European Union membership which involves both obligations and benefits.
They are not compromise amendments in the way we normally understand them, that is to say compromise amendments between political groups.
They are not interested in debates about competences; they are primarily interested in the best way to be healthy.
Obviously, the Member States also have to be involved in this, and they are too, in the same way as many Christian communities with direct contacts at grassroots level.
I hope we shall have the strength and not the vanity of many governments who think their job is to sit around where they are and stand in the way of progress!
In order to achieve the aim of ensuring uniform treatment of the aviation sector, it is necessary to check that uniform methods and procedures are used and that they are applied in the same way.
Whereas such goods should be included in that definition in order to ensure that they are treated in the same way as products covered by the market organization;
Why are they standing in the way of my dreams, Daddy?
But they aren't trained in the same way that police officers are and they're certainly not equipped in the same way police officers are.
It is now, especially, that the citizens of Georgia require our help and the feeling that they are being treated in the same way as other countries which are working with the European Union.
European fishermen accept having environmental, social and health restrictions imposed on them, but bitterly resent the fact that they are not applied in the same way to products imported in huge numbers from third countries.
The objective of the present directive is to render basic procedures concerning public participation consistent in all Member States and to ensure that they are carried out in the same way within the Community.
'Infrastructure inspection vehicles' are utilised to monitor the condition of the infrastructure. They are operated in the same way as freight or passenger trains, with no distinction between transport and working modes.

Alternatives:

they are obstructing
they are blocking
they are impeding
they are hindering
they are preventing passage

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They are on their way vs They are in the way