under way for

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "under way for" is not correct in standard written English; the correct form is "underway." You can use "underway" to indicate that something is in progress or currently happening.
Example: "The project is now underway for the upcoming launch next month."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Construction is under way for BW Residences.

The Guardian

A search is under way for a successor.

The New York Times

Plans are already under way for a third refugee camp.

The Economist

A citywide manhunt was under way for the two attackers.

The New York Times

A heated race is now under way for her seat.

The New York Times

Planning for the parade had been under way for months.

The New Yorker

Clinical trials are under way for modernized antibacterial serums.

The New York Times - Magazine

A search is under way for a permanent chief executive.

The New York Times

The criminal investigation has apparently been under way for months.

The New York Times

The change has been under way for a while.

The New York Times

Jury selection has been under way for two weeks.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "underway" without "for" to indicate something is currently happening. For instance, say "The project is underway" instead of "The project is under way for its launch".

Common error

Avoid using "under way for" to describe something in progress. It's grammatically incorrect. Always use "underway" to properly convey that something is in progress.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "under way for" functions as a prepositional phrase aiming to indicate purpose or direction. However, it's generally considered grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI suggests using the single-word form "underway" to indicate that something is in progress.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Academia

25%

Science

25%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

While the phrase "under way for" appears frequently, particularly in news and media sources, it is generally considered grammatically incorrect. According to Ludwig AI, the correct form is the single word "underway". The intention is to indicate that something is in progress with a specific purpose or direction. Therefore, it's best to use "underway" or alternative phrases like "in progress for" or "being prepared for" to ensure grammatical accuracy and clarity. The abundance of examples might suggest common usage, but it does not validate the phrase's correctness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

being planned for

Focuses specifically on the planning stage of an event or project.

in preparation for

Emphasizes the preparatory actions being taken.

being prepared for

Like 'in preparation for', but with a focus on the action of preparing.

in progress for

Focuses on the duration of the ongoing activity.

in development for

Similar to 'being developed for', emphasizing the stage of development.

being developed for

Highlights the developmental aspect of a project.

planned for

More concise, indicating a future event is scheduled.

in the works for

Suggests something is being actively worked on but may not be visible yet.

under construction for

Highlights the building or constructive aspect of the project.

being built for

Similar to 'under construction for', focusing on the building process.

FAQs

Is "under way for" grammatically correct?

No, "under way for" is generally considered grammatically incorrect. The correct term to use is "underway", which means something is in progress or happening.

What does "underway" mean?

Underway means that something is currently in progress or in motion. It's used to describe an action, project, or event that has already started.

What's a better way to phrase something that is "under way for" a specific purpose?

Instead of saying something is "under way for" a purpose, it's better to say it's "in progress" or "being developed" for that purpose. For example, "The preparations are in progress for the conference".

Can I use "under way" and ""underway"" interchangeably?

While "under way" (two words) can describe physical movement, like a ship being under way, ""underway"" (one word) is used to indicate that something is in progress. They are not interchangeable in all contexts.