Always vs all ways

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Grammarist

Always means every time, on every occasion, through all past times and through all future times. Always may also mean as a last resort or in any case. Always is an adverb, it is derived from the Old English phrase ealne weg  which means all the way, perpetually. Always is one of the one thousand most frequently used words, according to the Oxford English Dictionary.

All ways means in every single way, from all sides, using every possible method. The word always and the phrase all ways are often confused, but have very different meanings.

Examples

Younger workers, some said, would be less likely to dress down because they are looking to impress and could always be pulled into an unexpected client meeting. (The Wall Street Journal)

Even though there is a perception that superstars set the cash registers ringing at the box office, megastar Amitabh Bachchan feels talented actors do not always guarantee success of a film. (The Times of India)

Always another story to write: Author retraces lead up to Custer’s demise at Little Bighorn (The Billings Gazette)

He said he hopes to partner with the school in all ways possible, and to help make the students feel at home. (The Register-Herald)

We do not have to succumb to easy dichotomies — either the young men are to be supported in all ways or you are racist; either the police are to be supported in all ways or you are foolish. (The Olympian)

Oehler says small things, like keeping your cats indoors (house cats kill as many as 3.7 billion birds per year), planting fruit-bearing species like blackberries and native grasses, and using bird-safe glass (adding stripes or stickers to windows so birds don’t run into them) are all ways in which anybody can help protect the birds with which they share a city. (Newsweek Magazine)