as in streets
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 alleys
The city’s old town, Bari Vecchia, is filled with narrow alleys, lively piazzas, and centuries-old churches along the Adriatic.
—
Megan Murphy, Travel + Leisure, 28 Apr. 2026
The occasional roars of delivery trucks and motorcycles that used our alleys to get around the traffic of the main roads, to cut through the city.
—Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
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
People may experience temporary travel impacts and delays at side streets, alleys, parking lots, and sidewalks when crews are working.
—Brian Sherrod, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
Bethany takes the explosive event as a sign to reunite with her old girlfriend Nel (Lena Góra), and carouse across lofts, clubs, and back alleys, leaving her erstwhile partner stranded.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 17 Apr. 2026
In some buildings, the workers also clean, shovel snowy sidewalks and wrestle bins of refuse out of basements and alleys for pickup.
—ABC News, 15 Apr. 2026
Most notably, Point Loma Heights and Azure Vista-adjacent Sunset Cliffs and Riviera Villas were large tracts with good-size lots, wide streets, alleys, smooth sidewalks and all utilities.
—Eric Duvall, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
Megan Murphy, Travel + Leisure, 28 Apr. 2026
The occasional roars of delivery trucks and motorcycles that used our alleys to get around the traffic of the main roads, to cut through the city.
—Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
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
People may experience temporary travel impacts and delays at side streets, alleys, parking lots, and sidewalks when crews are working.
—Brian Sherrod, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
Bethany takes the explosive event as a sign to reunite with her old girlfriend Nel (Lena Góra), and carouse across lofts, clubs, and back alleys, leaving her erstwhile partner stranded.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 17 Apr. 2026
In some buildings, the workers also clean, shovel snowy sidewalks and wrestle bins of refuse out of basements and alleys for pickup.
—ABC News, 15 Apr. 2026
Most notably, Point Loma Heights and Azure Vista-adjacent Sunset Cliffs and Riviera Villas were large tracts with good-size lots, wide streets, alleys, smooth sidewalks and all utilities.
—Eric Duvall, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alleys
Noun
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The quick turnaround was a whirlwind for Griffin, who bolted from Westchester to the busy downtown Brooklyn streets.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
9 May 2026
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Because drivers spend so much time on the streets, the vehicles are designed for comfort, operations manager Michael Bradshaw said.—
Talia McWright,
Twin Cities,
9 May 2026
Noun
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Depending on the variant, the tank had a maximum speed of 22-30 mph (35-48 km/h) on roads and 15-20 mph (24-32 km/h) off-road, and an operational range of 100-150 mi (160-240 km) on roads and 60-100 mi (97-161 km) cross-country.—
Matthew S Williams,
Interesting Engineering,
7 May 2026
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Many roads were still blocked in Lincoln County and teams from the agency were assessing the damage.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
Noun
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The redesign, mandated by the City Council in a 2023 law, adds 43 miles to the city’s 1970s-era network of truck routes — and in so doing, officials hope, streamlines access to highways and industry.—
Evan Simko-Bednarski,
New York Daily News,
4 May 2026
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The highways, commerce and population have changed our environment — and often, not for the better.—
Stephen Hudak,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Alleys.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alleys. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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