side street

American  

noun

1. a street leading away from a main street; an unimportant street or one carrying but little traffic.

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side street British  

noun

1. a minor or unimportant street, esp one leading off a main thoroughfare

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side street Idioms  

1. A minor thoroughfare that carries little traffic, as in Our favorite hotel is on a quiet little side street. The side in this idiom means “off to one side, away from the main street.” [c. 1600] Also see back street.

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Etymology

Origin of side street

First recorded in 1610–20

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

side street

On Thursday morning, on a dusty side street on the outskirts of Reggio Emilia, in an everyday kind of place, there were crowds lined up behind barriers, awaiting her arrival.

From BBC ● May 14, 2026

“We are going to be looking around, and we are staying with the group, not going on a side street, and not gather unnecessarily.”

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 11, 2026

"It was coming down the side street off the side of the pub like a river. It was bringing bins, bricks and debris down the street."

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2025

I still prefer a side street, but I’ll take the freeway if I have to.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 9, 2025

Nico and Hazel bolted for the side street.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan