alleyway

noun

al·​ley·​way ˈa-lē-ˌwā How to pronounce alleyway (audio)
Synonyms of alleywaynext
1
: a narrow passageway
2
: alley sense 3

Examples of alleyway in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Santa, who was heavy and plodding with bad knees, couldn’t keep up as Gayle tailed this man through an alleyway. — Wilbert L. Cooper, Longreads, 25 Aug. 2026 In the Old City, Jewish men in black hats and tzitzit tassels, Muslim women in hijabs and Christian priests in flowing robes walk past each other daily in the maze of stone alleyways. — ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026 Renaming the alleyway that runs behind the main stand as The Yellow Brick Road, in a further homage to their former chairman, is another touch that sets Watford’s home apart. — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026 Several studies have shown that addicts who shoot up at official injection sites are far less likely to die of overdoses than those who use drugs in, say, alleyways and parks. — Michael Powell, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for alleyway

Word History

First Known Use

1788, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of alleyway was in 1788

Rhymes for alleyway

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Browse Nearby Words

alley-oop
alleyway
All-father
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Cite this Entry

“Alleyway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alleyway. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

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