alleyway

[ al-ee-wey ]

/ ˈæl iˌweɪ /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for alleyway on Thesaurus.com

noun

an alley or lane.

a narrow passageway.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON “ITS” VS. “IT’S”!

Apostrophes can be tricky; prove you know the difference between "it’s" and "its" in this crafty quiz!

Question 1 of 8

On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.

it's

its

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of alleyway

An Americanism dating back to 1780–90; alley¹ + way¹

Words nearby alleyway

alley cropping, all eyes, alley gate, alley light, alley-oop, alleyway, all-fired, all-flying tail, All Fools' Day, all for, All for Love

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

MORE ABOUT ALLEYWAY

What is an alleyway?

An alleyway is a narrow passage between buildings or other structures.

Alleyway can also refer to a narrow path or passage behind a row of houses, such as one that allows access to garages and back yards.

The word alley means the same thing.

Example: We took a shortcut through the narrow alleyway between the shops.

Where does alleyway come from?

The first records of the word alleyway come from the late 1700s. The word alley is first recorded much earlier, in the 1300s, and comes from the Middle French alee, meaning “walk” or “passage,” from verb aler, “to walk.” The word way is used in the same way in similar compound words that refer to a lane or passage, including passageway, walkway, and pathway, all of which can be used as synonyms for alleyway in some cases.

However, while passageway and walkway can refer to indoor passages, alleyway typically refers to one that’s outside. In big cities, alleyways between buildings are often very narrow—wide enough to walk down but not drive. These kinds of alleyways are often depicted as dark, dangerous, or mysterious places—places where dangerous people might be lurking. In reality, they’re usually just places where businesses deposit their garbage in dumpsters.

Did you know ... ?

What are some synonyms for alleyway?

What are some words that share a root or word element with alleyway?

What are some words that often get used in discussing alleyway?

How is alleyway used in real life?

Alleyway is most commonly used to refer to the narrow passage between buildings or to the lane behind a row of houses.

hello look at how much progress i’ve made on my little back alleyway over the past few weeks pic.twitter.com/8CkdSrk5jE

— shield volcano fan account (@kingratbaby) May 23, 2020

Before and after! A recently completed alleyway refurbishment in Kensington #AlleywayRefurb #LiverpoolAlleyways #Alleyways #Transformation pic.twitter.com/5MmuSem72e

— Liverpool Alleyway Programme (@LiverpoolAlley1) November 26, 2020

Vivid shades of purple, yellow, and blue weave a stunning tapestry of murals hidden in an alleyway behind a small strip of shops in Lemon Grove. https://t.co/WKscLg63u0

— Atlas Obscura (@atlasobscura) August 14, 2020

Try using alleyway!

Is alleyway used correctly in the following sentence?

Please pull the car around back and park in the alleyway.

How to use alleyway in a sentence

If you get one more ride per day because you move the scooter 50 meters or 100 meters, maybe out of the alleyway, maybe from the departure side of the Metro station to the arrival side of the Metro station, that’s a huge win for a shared operator.
Shared scooters aren’t always where you need them. A U-Md. researcher has a plan for that.|Michael Laris|July 29, 2021|Washington Post
With an accurate map of Rocinha, the city could more easily provide access to public services such as water and waste collection, improve alleyways, and create plazas and public places.
Rio de Janeiro is making a digital map of one of Brazil’s largest favelas|Fábio Duarte, Carlo Ratti, Washington Fajardo|April 28, 2021|MIT Technology Review
Green started running up East Avenue, before turning left into an alleyway past the town library that took him to Railroad Avenue, where he collapsed in front of an abandoned Timberline store.
Lauren Boebert’s tall tale about a man’s death that led her to pack heat|Glenn Kessler|March 12, 2021|Washington Post
“Meander through the alleyways and laneways, and you can find these beautiful moments that feel like they’re just for the locals,” Lee says.
Take a culinary journey with these new travel-inspired cookbooks|Jen Rose Smith|January 22, 2021|Washington Post

In 2015, Nehad was confronted by a police officer, Neal Browder, in an alleyway in the Midway district.
VOSD Podcast: Cops and Cameras, Cameras and Cops|Nate John|July 24, 2020|Voice of San Diego
“This is a very typical street of the times,” Erik says, as we look at the bones of a few other past-bordellos in the alleyway.
Exploring the Darker Side of James Joyce’s Trieste|Jeff Campagna|January 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After sneaking through a tunnel, the mark emerges in an alleyway.
‘Shadow Dancer’ Explores Post-Thatcher’s London During the Troubles|Marlow Stern|May 31, 2013|DAILY BEAST
When the fourth shell comes down, nervous onlookers usher us across the street into another alleyway.
Syria’s Christians Wary of Both Rebels and Assad Regime|Clare Morgana Gillis|October 17, 2012|DAILY BEAST
As they began to chase him down an alleyway, Diaz ran toward the front of an apartment building.
Amid Days of Riots, Residents Wonder If Anaheim is Most Dangerous Place on Earth|Maria Elena Fernandez|July 26, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Moments later, police caught up with two teens about two blocks away in a Pasadena alleyway.
Another Trayvon Martin? Young, Unarmed, Black Teenager Shot by Cops in California|Christine Pelisek|April 1, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Like a hurt animal, half crawling, knowing only the base instinct of self preservation, he tried for that delivery alleyway.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
Two bedsteads, with a narrow alleyway between, occupied half the interior.
Famous Adventures And Prison Escapes of the Civil War|Various
The street Tom followed was lined with tall tenements and ended in little more than an alleyway.
The Rover Boys on the Farm|Arthur M. Winfield (AKA Edward Stratemeyer)
As he reached the second landing of the escape he saw Merrick turn the corner of the alleyway and disappear on the street beyond.
The Rover Boys on the Farm|Arthur M. Winfield (AKA Edward Stratemeyer)
Then the youth got down on his hands and knees and looked over the edge of the tenement, on the alleyway side.
The Rover Boys on the Farm|Arthur M. Winfield (AKA Edward Stratemeyer)

British Dictionary definitions for alleyway

alleyway

/ (ˈælɪˌweɪ) /

noun

a narrow passage; alley

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

alleyway

Origin of alleyway

Words nearby alleyway

MORE ABOUT ALLEYWAY

What is an alleyway?

Where does alleyway come from?

Did you know ... ?

How is alleyway used in real life?

Try using alleyway!

Words related to alleyway

How to use alleyway in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for alleyway