plural alleys
1
: a garden or park walk bordered by trees or bushes
2
a(1)
: a grassed enclosure for bowling or skittles
(2)
: a hardwood lane for bowling
also
: a room or building housing a group of such lanes
b
: the space on each side of a tennis doubles court between the sideline and the service sideline
c
: an area in a baseball outfield between two outfielders when they are in normal positions
hit a line drive into the alley
3
: a narrow street
especially
: a thoroughfare through the middle of a block giving access to the rear of lots or buildings
4
: an extensive region where destructive natural phenomena of a specified type (such as tornadoes) occur often or are likely to occur
The most obvious tornado alley extends from the plains of northwest Texas eastward into north Texas and then northward across Oklahoma, Kansas, and eastern Nebraska.—
Tom Konvicka
Tom KonvickaExamples of alley in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Cameron Sperance, Travel + Leisure, 7 June 2025
While still on the scene, another call came out about a second gunshot victim in an alley in the 3300 block of West Lake Street.
—Deanese Williams-Harris, Chicago Tribune, 7 June 2025
The second man then took off on foot down an alley on 46th Street.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 June 2025
In the summer months, the narrow alleys of San Marco echo with the chatter of global accents.
—Joe Sills, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for alley
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Noun
But the line snaking down an alley and up the main road is an indicator that this is the place to spend a raucous night all year long.
—Cameron Sperance, Travel + Leisure, 7 June 2025
While still on the scene, another call came out about a second gunshot victim in an alley in the 3300 block of West Lake Street.
—Deanese Williams-Harris, Chicago Tribune, 7 June 2025
The second man then took off on foot down an alley on 46th Street.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 June 2025
In the summer months, the narrow alleys of San Marco echo with the chatter of global accents.
—Joe Sills, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for alley
Cite this Entry
“Alley.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alley. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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