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An alley is a narrow passage between buildings or other structures. The word alleyway means the same thing.

Alley can also refer to a narrow path or passage behind a row of houses, such as one that allows access to garages and back yards.

An alley can also be a narrow street or lane—the word alley might even be used in the name of such a street, as in Elfreth’s Alley. All of these senses of alley refer to passages that are outside—you wouldn’t normally call a narrow passage an alley if it is indoors.

The term bowling alley refers to a building with lanes for bowling—which can also be called alleys.

The proper plural of alley is alleys.

Example: We took a shortcut through the narrow alley between the shops.

The first records of the word alley come from the 1300s. It comes from the Middle French alee, meaning “walk” or “passage,” from verb aler, “to walk.”

In big cities, alleys between buildings are often very narrow—wide enough to walk down but not drive. These kinds of alleys are often depicted as dark, dangerous, or mysterious places—places where dangerous people might be lurking. In reality, they’re usually just places where businesses deposit their garbage in dumpsters.

A blind alley is a road or alley with a dead end (or a figurative dead end). An alley cat is a stray cat so-named probably because they often take shelter in alleys. If something is said to be up one’s alley, it means it is something that’s suited to their tastes or interests. The phrase probably uses one’s alley as a way of referring to one’s area of interest.

What are some other forms related to alley?

• alleys (plural)

What are some synonyms for alley?

• alleyway
• lane
• passage
• passageway
• pathway
• walk
• walkway

What are some words that share a root or word element with alley?��

• alley cat
• blind alley
• up one’s alley
• bowling alley

What are some words that often get used in discussing alley?

• narrow
• long
• dark
• back
• street

Alley is most commonly used to refer to the narrow passage between buildings or to the lane behind a row of houses.

Very well maintained back alley…I spotted only one little sticker😀

— Alex Lund, Author (@AlexLundAuthor)

This dude is having such a slow night he’s serenading two dogs in the alley behind his restaurant

— Norrin Hester (@norrinhester)

Before we got the curbside receptacles, we had to take our trash to the dumpster in the alley behind the house 😭

— Aɳαʝαι Sυɱɱҽɾʂ (@Stfu_Anajai)

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Is alley used correctly in the following sentence?��

Please pull the car around back and park in the alley.