doorway

noun

door·​way ˈdȯr-ˌwā How to pronounce doorway (audio)
Synonyms of doorwaynext
1
: the opening that a door closes
especially : an entrance into a building or room
2
: door sense 3

Synonyms of doorway

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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.
To my mind that’s Union Station, the epicenter of the city’s rail and transit system and the doorway into its sprawling and grid-like downtown district. — Literary Hub, 15 July 2026 The leasing officer who let us in watches from the doorway with a bemused smile as Parks films the space on her phone, clacking around the hardwood floors in nude heels and a backless seafoam dress, a Coach bag slung over her shoulder. — Clio Chang, Curbed, 14 July 2026 Adults must crawl through doorways, buildings look like dollhouses and dwarf goats and donkeys hunker in the animal section. — John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 13 July 2026 In the Nightbird studio, lyric sheets are distributed for seven songs selected for tonight’s HADES preview, and now Melanie steps into the doorway to welcome us to her new world. — Matt Thompson, SPIN, 13 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for doorway

Word History

First Known Use

1653, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of doorway was in 1653

Rhymes for doorway

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Browse Nearby Words

doorward
doorway
doorweed
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Cite this Entry

“Doorway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/doorway. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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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

Nglish: Translation of doorway for Spanish Speakers

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