"each way" means: For either a win or a place in a competition.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
each way
(UK, AU, NZ, gambling) For either a win or a place in a competition.
Seen in the wild
Candace believed the counterpart had been better in each way
For the first time in weeks I don't have the car, which means I can't do outside errands and it's the break I absolutely need. Except... HEALTH is playing tonight in Austin and that's 2hrs each way. 😭
All domestics flights shouldn't be more than $100 each way. Anything above that should be considered fraud b
I have between 6 to 8 hours (3 to 4 hours each way, with abour 2 and half hours in between for the actual drs visit, 2 of which I have to just ... sit there... under observation) in a car on Friday- which me luck 🙃
I mean, the trade-off is worth it, that's why I'm doing it, but it's gonna be like three hours each way when I'm sure I could drive it in half the time, if not less.
Definitions
(UK, AU, NZ, gambling) For either a win or a place in a competition.
At first the shilling each way I put on horses was not my own but the concession allowed me by the street bookmaker for the other bankers' bets I brought him.
"each way" means: For either a win or a place in a competition.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
"each way" means: For either a win or a place in a competition.. Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. Note the regional or dialect label (UK) — usage may sound odd outside that variety. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.
“Candace believed the counterpart had been better in each way”
— Bluesky· May 2026“For the first time in weeks I don't have the car, which means I can't do outside errands and it's the break I absolutely need. Except... HEALTH is playing tonight in Austin and that's 2hrs each way. 😭”
— Bluesky· May 2026“All domestics flights shouldn't be more than $100 each way. Anything above that should be considered fraud b”
— Bluesky· May 2026“I have between 6 to 8 hours (3 to 4 hours each way, with abour 2 and half hours in between for the actual drs visit, 2 of which I have to just ... sit there... under observation) in a car on Friday- which me luck 🙃”
— Bluesky· May 2026“I mean, the trade-off is worth it, that's why I'm doing it, but it's gonna be like three hours each way when I'm sure I could drive it in half the time, if not less.”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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🇬🇧About British & Irish slang slang
UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.
See all British & Irish slang slang on Slangora.
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Other words near "each way" (E)
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Semantically related
- placegetting63%
(Australia, New Zealand) Placing among the top three (or other number) in a race or competition.
- placepot63%
(UK) A bet in which the bettor must correctly pick a placed horse from each of the first six races from any British race meeting.
- a bob each way62%
(colloquial, UK, AU, NZ) A situation of hedging one's bets, refusing to commit to either side of a question.
- placegetter59%
(Australia, New Zealand) A race competitor or competition entrant who places among the top three (or other number chosen to receive recognition and/or a prize), or in a specified position (place).
- two-up58%
(Australia, New Zealand, games) A game of chance, played by betting on the outcome of two pennies thrown in the air.