definitions

back-alley

[ bak-al-ee ]
/ ˈbækˈæl i /
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR back-alley ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

dirty, unprepossessing, sordid, or clandestine: back-alley morals; back-alley political schemes.

RELATED CONTENT

11 Back To School Quotes To Kick-Start The YearYou learn so much more than just facts and figures in school. These quotes show the importance of education outside of studying and tests.
READ MORE
Bullet Journaling And Other Writing Trends That Keep Coming BackCatch up with some classic writing trends that are either making a comeback or totally reinventing themselves into today's writing habits
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

roadway, lane, boulevard, court, thoroughfare, track, route, trail, pavement, place, road, avenue, highway, drive, passage, drag, terrace, way, turf, artery

Nearby words

back vent, back walkover, back water, back yard, back, sack, and crack, back-alley, back-and-forth, back-check, back-cloth, back-end load, back-load

Origin of back-alley

An Americanism dating back to 1860–65
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Idioms and Phrases with back alley

back alley

see under back street.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.