as in street
a narrow passage between buildings
One can spend days exploring all the alleys and backstreets of the old city.
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Recent Examples of alley
Twin looked down the rare building alleys, stuck her hand in sandboxes, found combs with missing teeth, unopened letters from Child Services.
—
Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
If this sounds up your alley, start perusing housing listings or available rentals in Newtown, Yardley, or Doylestown.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 28 Jan. 2026
At the end of the alley, nailed to a concrete wall, were a measuring stick, the water having clearly surpassed its previous peak of seven feet not long ago, and a shrine to the Virgin Mary.
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
If grand castles and even grander natural beauty are up your alley, then Edinburgh is your perfect next solo destination.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for alley
Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
If this sounds up your alley, start perusing housing listings or available rentals in Newtown, Yardley, or Doylestown.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 28 Jan. 2026
At the end of the alley, nailed to a concrete wall, were a measuring stick, the water having clearly surpassed its previous peak of seven feet not long ago, and a shrine to the Virgin Mary.
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
If grand castles and even grander natural beauty are up your alley, then Edinburgh is your perfect next solo destination.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for alley
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alley
Noun
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In a first-of-its-kind event for NASCAR, all three national series will travel to Southern California and race on the streets of Naval Base Coronado, the island facility across the bay from downtown San Diego.—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Oval holes in the walls once held lamps to light the street after dark.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Surrounded by vast desert, the long and windy road that leads to Nancy Guthrie’s home in the Catalina Foothills is dotted with prickly cacti and attractive houses.—
Amanda Musa,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
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This combination of road salt and brine helps to prevent the snow and ice from bonding to the pavement, keeping roads from getting too slick and causing car accidents.—
Molly Burford,
Southern Living,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Lamont, who tried unsuccessfully to convince legislators in 2019 and 2020 to approve electronic tolling on state highways, warned in November that Connecticut might need to curb borrowing for highway, bridge and rail repairs.—
John Moritz,
Hartford Courant,
5 Feb. 2026
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Many of those original roads have faded away, swallowed by high-speed highways or erased by suburban expansion.—
Josh Jackson,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Alley.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alley. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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