alley

1 of 2

noun (1)

al·​ley ˈa-lē How to pronounce alley (audio)
plural alleys
Synonyms of alleynext
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
see also:

alley

2 of 2

noun (2)

plural alleys
: a playing marble
especially : one of superior quality

Examples of alley in a Sentence

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.
Noun
Hear a hundred different styles blasting from a hundred different porches, patios, driveways, alleys, frontyards, backyards, and sideyards. Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 26 Apr. 2026 That means an entertainment license wouldn’t be necessary anymore for bars that want to host trivia nights, for bowling alleys and for coffee shops that have an unamplified live performer. Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2026 The former is right up the alley of fans of supernatural thrillers, while the latter pulls back the curtain on the invention of reality TV. Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Apr. 2026 Jean Brown, who lives on West Carmen Avenue, said police apprehended the suspect from under the back deck of a house in the alley between her street and West Winona Street. Madeline King, Chicago Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for alley

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French alee, from aler to go

Noun (2)

by shortening and alteration from alabaster

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1720, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of alley was in the 14th century

Cite this Entry

“Alley.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alley. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

alley

noun
al·​ley
ˈal-ē
plural alleys
1
: a garden or park walk bordered by trees or bushes
2
: a narrow wooden floor on which balls are rolled in bowling
also : a room or building housing a number of such alleys
3
: a narrow street or passageway between buildings

More from Merriam-Webster on alley

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster