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
Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2025
The videos collectively say that criminals, gang members and other predators want to slip in through every crack, and that Ms. Noem and the administration are here, there, everywhere — the border, back alleys, a Coney Island subway station — to stop them.
—James Poniewozik, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2025
The last two seasons any playoff shift against Marchand was a skate down a dark alley.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 29 Mar. 2025
Video surveillance showed a white Buick SUV speeding down the alley right after the gunshot.
—Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for alley
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.
Noun
Detectives, tactical officers and other police personnel clustered on the sidewalk in front of the hotel, while others walked the service alley in the back of the building.
—Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2025
The videos collectively say that criminals, gang members and other predators want to slip in through every crack, and that Ms. Noem and the administration are here, there, everywhere — the border, back alleys, a Coney Island subway station — to stop them.
—James Poniewozik, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2025
The last two seasons any playoff shift against Marchand was a skate down a dark alley.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 29 Mar. 2025
Video surveillance showed a white Buick SUV speeding down the alley right after the gunshot.
—Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 28 Mar. 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 15 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share