doorway

noun

door·​way ˈdȯr-ˌwā How to pronounce doorway (audio)
1
: the opening that a door closes
especially : an entrance into a building or room
2

Examples of doorway in a Sentence

Please don't block the doorway. She stepped through the doorway. He stood in the doorway, wondering if he should go in. Homeless people sleep in the doorways of the shops.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Inside, three bedrooms and four baths are spread across almost 2,300 square feet of multi-level living space boasting a mix of stone and wide-plank French oak floors, arched doorways, and whitewashed wood-beam ceilings dotted with skylights. Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 23 May 2025 It must be asked not as condemnation, but as a doorway to deeper understanding—of her, of ourselves, and of the social and emotional architecture that keeps so many of us bound in silence, shame, and survival. Shayla Brown, Essence, 19 May 2025 Though the moment is smeared in dramatic score, a dull clanging pierces through; the EMTs can’t get the gurney wheels to glide out of the doorway. Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 16 May 2025 Bougainvillea draped over walls and doorways, vehicles and donkey carts filled traffic, busy restaurants lined the river banks. Emmanuel Akinwotu, NPR, 16 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for doorway

Word History

First Known Use

1666, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of doorway was in 1666

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Cite this Entry

“Doorway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/doorway. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

doorway

noun
door·​way -ˌwā How to pronounce doorway (audio)
1
: the opening or passage that a door closes
2
: a means of reaching or gaining something
the doorway to success

More from Merriam-Webster on doorway

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