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

• highway
• road
• street
• freeway
• route
• boulevard
• expressway
• roadway
• carriageway [British]
• artery
• arterial
• turnpike

Examples of thoroughfare in a Sentence

one of the city's main thoroughfares

Recent Examples on the Web

Since its opening in mid-June, the experimental project has driven a 25 percent increase in total sales across the West Nanjing Road thoroughfare. —Denni Hu, Footwear News, 5 Sep. 2025

The main thoroughfares, Bridge Street and Castlebar Street, are lined with homegrown shops, cafés, and pubs situated in historic buildings. —Shivani Vora, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025

An undercrossing under the new bridge will also provide a link across the busy thoroughfare between the inland and coastal miles of the Coast to Crest Trail. —Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025

For drivers, it is recommended to be incredibly cautious and perhaps being in the passenger seat is more fitting for this one, but rolling down main thoroughfares will show different angles of the city. —Dana Afana, Freep.com, 28 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for thoroughfare

• aftercare
• anywhere
• billionaire
• chinaware
• debonair
• dinnerware
• disrepair
• doctrinaire
• earthenware
• everywhere
• frigidaire
• kitchenware

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