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 of thoroughfare

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

Examples of thoroughfare in a Sentence

one of the city's main thoroughfares

Recent Examples on the Web

Her house sits on Palmer Road, a busy thoroughfare. —Brent Lang, Variety, 22 Apr. 2026

For over two decades, Spurs fans have converged on city streets to drive up and down a few of its larger thoroughfares, honking and cheering for their team immediately after a playoff win. —Melissa Renteria, San Antonio Express-News, 19 Apr. 2026

The strait is a major thoroughfare for roughly one-third of seaborne trade in fertilizer, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTD). —Kelly McCarthy, ABC News, 18 Apr. 2026

Dinner at the waterfront Red Inn or Sal’s Place neatly closes the loop on a day spent strolling this thoroughfare. —Cameron Sperance, Travel + Leisure, 18 Apr. 2026

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