Dardanelles

American

[dahr-dn-elz] / ˌdɑr dnˈɛlz /

noun

(used with a plural verb)

the strait between European and Asian Turkey, connecting the Aegean Sea with the Sea of Marmara. 40 miles (64 km) long; 1–5 miles (1.6–8 km) wide.

Dardanelles British

/ ˌdɑːdəˈnɛlz /

noun

Ancient name: Hellespont. the strait between the Aegean and the Sea of Marmara, separating European from Asian Turkey

"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

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.

Physical chokepoints include waterways such as the Strait of Hormuz or the Bosporus and Dardanelles, which connect the Mediterranean to the Black Sea, and thus Russian and Ukrainian grain exports.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

He added the Dardanelles Strait, a waterway linking the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara, was closed to allow water-dropping planes and helicopters to operate safely.

From BBC • Aug. 12, 2025

The Gallipoli campaign aimed to secure a naval route from the Mediterranean Sea to Istanbul through the Dardanelles, and knock the Ottomans out of the war.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 25, 2023

Eight tankers were also waiting for passage through the Dardanelles strait into the Mediterranean, down from nine a day earlier, Tribeca said, making a total of 28 tankers waiting for southbound passage.

From Reuters • Dec. 9, 2022

We ran by Gibraltar wi’oot bein’ able to signal; an’ till we came to the Dardanelles and had to wait to get our permit to pass, we never were within hail o’ aught.

From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023