thoroughfare

noun

thor·​ough·​fare ˈthər-ə-ˌfer 

ˈthə-rə-

1

: a way or place for passage: such as

a

: a street open at both ends

b

: a main road

2

a

: passage, transit

b

: the conditions necessary for passing through

Synonyms

• arterial
• artery
• avenue
• boulevard
• carriageway [British]
• drag
• drive
• expressway
• freeway
• high road
• highway
• pass
• pike
• road
• roadway
• route
• row
• street
• thruway
• trace
• turnpike
• way

Examples of thoroughfare in a Sentence

one of the city's main thoroughfares

Recent Examples on the Web

New warehouse developments would need to be located on major thoroughfares or local roads that mainly serve commercial uses. —Rebecca Plevin, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2024

Center Street will be getting upgrades meant to improve safety along two miles of the east-west thoroughfare. —Alison Dirr, Journal Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2024

Just off a main thoroughfare in Barcelona, Spain, countless passersby walked over a set of 600-year-old ruins. —Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 12 July 2024

The latest: This week, District Court Judge Andrea Wood rejected the coalition's request for a 2.4-mile route on main thoroughfares. —Monica Eng, Axios, 13 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

thoroughfare

noun

thor·​ough·​fare ˈthər-ə-ˌfa(ə)r 

ˈthə-rə-,

-ˌfe(ə)r

1

: a street or road open at both ends

2

: a main road