1
: moving or allowing movement in either direction
a two-way bridge
2
a
: involving or allowing an exchange between two individuals or groups
there must be good two-way communicationJerrold Orne
especially : designed for both sending and receiving messages
two-way radio
b
: involving mutual responsibility or reciprocal relationships
political alliance is a two-way thingT. H. White †1986
3
a
: involving two participants
a two-way race
b
sports : playing on both the offensive and defensive squads of a team (as in American football)
Frost, a throwback to the era of two-way players, is the Cardinal's starting free safety and backup quarterback.The New York Times
also : playing both offense and defense well
a basketball forward who's a talented two-way player
4
: usable in either of two manners
a two-way lamp
5
: being a cock or valve that will connect a pipe or channel with either of two others

Examples of two-way in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Glasnow wasn’t the most expensive addition of the Dodgers’ offseason, which was highlighted by the $700-million signing of two-way star Shohei Ohtani and the $325-million acquisition of Yamamoto. Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024 Top carrying handles make these bags easy to remove from your suitcase or backpack without tugging, and a two-way zipper creates an all-around smooth packing experience. Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2024 The bromance is a true, two-way street, however, as Kravitz was equally as complimentary about Momoa in his PEOPLE cover story last month. Alex Ross, Peoplemag, 9 Mar. 2024 At his job, building trust with new immigrants is a two-way street, says Mr. Lopez. Sarah Matusek, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Mar. 2024 With no stop signs on the two-way avenue, pedestrians must keep an eye out for oncoming cars or bikes. Stephanie Lam, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2024 The 1080p sensor has night vision capabilities, and there are speakers and microphones to enable two-way audio. $60 at Amazon$60 at Best Buy Verge Deals on X / Join more than 50,000 followers and keep up with the best daily tech deals with @vergedeals Follow us! Quentyn Kennemer, The Verge, 6 Mar. 2024 Her retirement means November's election will likely be a two-way race between Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego and Republican Kari Lake for a seat that could help determine control of the Senate. Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2024 Recently signed two-way player Harry Giles III made his Lakers debut in the fourth, playing four minutes. Khobi Price, Orange County Register, 5 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'two-way.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1571, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of two-way was in 1571

Dictionary Entries Near two-way

Cite this Entry

“Two-way.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/two-way. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

two-way

adjective
1
: moving or acting or allowing movement or action in either direction
two-way traffic
a two-way street
2
a
: involving two persons or groups
communication is a two-way process
b
: made to send and receive messages
a two-way radio

More from Merriam-Webster on two-way

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