plural alleys
1
: a garden or park walk bordered by trees or bushes
2
a(1)
: a grassed enclosure for bowling or skittles
(2)
: a hardwood lane for bowling
also
: a room or building housing a group of such lanes
b
: the space on each side of a tennis doubles court between the sideline and the service sideline
c
: an area in a baseball outfield between two outfielders when they are in normal positions
hit a line drive into the alley
3
: a narrow street
especially
: a thoroughfare through the middle of a block giving access to the rear of lots or buildings
4
: an extensive region where destructive natural phenomena of a specified type (such as tornadoes) occur often or are likely to occur
The most obvious tornado alley extends from the plains of northwest Texas eastward into north Texas and then northward across Oklahoma, Kansas, and eastern Nebraska.—
Tom Konvicka
Tom KonvickaExamples of alley in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 10 Dec. 2025
Once on the scene, one of the officers walked to an alley behind the home, while another officer stayed at the front door.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 10 Dec. 2025
Animal control has since captured one of the two felines in an alley using food and a catch pole and will transfer the feline to a licensed rescue or zoo, Victoria Minka, a Baltimore City Health Department official, told The Washington Post.
—Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 8 Dec. 2025
The three were with a fourth person, identified in the criminal complaint as a witness, who was waiting in a car while the three went to the alley.
—David Clarey, jsonline.com, 8 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for alley
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Noun
This ski-in ski-out resort just 10 minutes from Park City’s Main Street offers 220 charming guest rooms, suites, and residences; plus, four snazzy restaurants and even a bowling alley.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 10 Dec. 2025
Once on the scene, one of the officers walked to an alley behind the home, while another officer stayed at the front door.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 10 Dec. 2025
Animal control has since captured one of the two felines in an alley using food and a catch pole and will transfer the feline to a licensed rescue or zoo, Victoria Minka, a Baltimore City Health Department official, told The Washington Post.
—Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 8 Dec. 2025
The three were with a fourth person, identified in the criminal complaint as a witness, who was waiting in a car while the three went to the alley.
—David Clarey, jsonline.com, 8 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for alley
Cite this Entry
“Alley.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alley. Accessed 11 Dec. 2025.
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