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
Wangfujing’s shopping streets are nearby for luxury retail and snack stalls, while the hutongs and narrower historic alleys around the Forbidden City are easy to explore from here.
—
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 May 2026
There were so many vendors that some of them are tucked away in alleys, which were basically shoulder-to-shoulder during the prime time of the market.
—Kansas City Star, 19 May 2026
The mayor of Uruapan, the capital of Mexico’s rich but violent avocado country, Manzo led police down dark alleys in search of kidnapping victims and combed hillsides for cartel training camps.
—Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
Ultimately, their resurgence is thanks to their House Party Tour, where the band has been playing at college-house backyards and bowling alleys, giving the current concert funflation and surge ticket pricing the middle finger in the process.
—Air Mail, 16 May 2026
Many hide their treasures behind unassuming wooden doors down narrow alleys, like Riad Dar Al Dall—This Time Tomorrow, or offer little or no signage indicating their presence.
—Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
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
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 May 2026
There were so many vendors that some of them are tucked away in alleys, which were basically shoulder-to-shoulder during the prime time of the market.
—Kansas City Star, 19 May 2026
The mayor of Uruapan, the capital of Mexico’s rich but violent avocado country, Manzo led police down dark alleys in search of kidnapping victims and combed hillsides for cartel training camps.
—Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
Ultimately, their resurgence is thanks to their House Party Tour, where the band has been playing at college-house backyards and bowling alleys, giving the current concert funflation and surge ticket pricing the middle finger in the process.
—Air Mail, 16 May 2026
Many hide their treasures behind unassuming wooden doors down narrow alleys, like Riad Dar Al Dall—This Time Tomorrow, or offer little or no signage indicating their presence.
—Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alleys
Noun
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Entire streets in the west Orange County community disappeared underwater as residents scrambled to escape rising floodwaters in the middle of the night.—
Greg Bennett,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 May 2026
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The beer aisles in the surrounding supermarkets were barren, pubs were packed and the streets flooded.—
Thomas Schlachter,
CNN Money,
23 May 2026
Noun
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Extending housing to remote areas requires new roads, water systems, sewers, schools, and fire protection, all of which are costly and often opposed by local governments.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
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The tech giant has also committed to investments in schools and nonprofit organizations in Richland Parish, as well as more than $300 million to help improve local infrastructure, from roads to wastewater management.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
In November 2016, Santa Clara County voters approved Measure B, a 30-year, half-cent countywide sales tax to enhance transit, highways, expressways, and active transportation (bicycles, pedestrians, and complete streets).—
Phan Khang,
Mercury News,
18 May 2026
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From scenic highways and spontaneous detours to roadside inns and vintage diners, road trips offer a certain kind of freedom and ambiance that a flight can simply never replicate.—
Jessica Chapel,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Alleys.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alleys. Accessed 25 May. 2026.
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