bowling alley
Americannoun
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a building or enclosed area containing a number of lanes or alleys for the game of bowling.
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any of these long, narrow wooden lanes or alleys.
noun
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a long narrow wooden lane down which the ball is rolled in tenpin bowling
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a similar lane or alley, usually with raised sides, for playing skittles (ninepins)
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a building having several lanes for tenpin bowling
Etymology
Origin of bowling alley
First recorded in 1545–55
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Aerosmith producer Jack Douglas rescued the group from obscurity after catching Cheap Trick’s act at a bowling alley in Waukesha, Wis. Impressed, he offered to help.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026
On Dec. 27, 2022, the couple got into an argument after they went to a bowling alley, according to the release.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026
"We're losing what was the Arches to become a bowling alley in the centre of Glasgow," says Lynne.
From BBC • Dec. 26, 2025
Today, it continues to serve as Murphy’s main residence, offering an array of extravagant amenities, including a full-size indoor bowling alley, a private movie theater, a sport court, and a glittering swimming pool.
From MarketWatch • Nov. 24, 2025
He probed the wax in his ears with the pencil and began to concentrate, listening to the sounds of his mother’s preparations for an evening at the bowling alley.
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
