go a different way

1. Literally, to take a different route while traveling to a destination. There were some suspicious figures slinking about in the shadows, so we decided to go a different way home. Sorry, the road here is under construction, so you'll have to go a different way. Can't we go a different way? I just don't feel comfortable cutting through an alley at 2:00 in the morning.

2. To do something different; to take a different or unexpected approach to something. I know, I really thought we would get funding for this project, but the board just decided to go a different way. We wanted to go a really different way with our new product, which irked some of our longtime customers. If you want to keep the company afloat, you really need to go a different way with your spending—like, cut it in half, at least.