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Synonyms

bowling alley

American  
[boh-ling al-ee] / ˈboʊ lɪŋ ˌæl i /

noun

bowling alleys plural
  1. a building or enclosed area containing a number of lanes or alleys for the game of bowling.

  2. any of these long, narrow wooden lanes or alleys.


bowling alley British  

noun

    1. a long narrow wooden lane down which the ball is rolled in tenpin bowling

    2. a similar lane or alley, usually with raised sides, for playing skittles (ninepins)

  1. a building having several lanes for tenpin bowling

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

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.

It has its own bowling alley and two swimming pools.

From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026

Its last major fundraiser was the next year, an event dubbed “Bowling with the Brass,” at a bowling alley owned by a foundation board member.

From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026

The pair spent the next few years designing and building a roughly 13,500-square-foot house with a gym, pool, putting green and bowling alley.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

In 2024, workers said, the company hosted a Christmas party that featured a cash bar at a local bowling alley.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

Students at that black school had been protesting since February 5 a segregated bowling alley in town, with demonstrations growing in size and intensity over the next few days.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

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