back alley

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Bickerstaff was referring to a time-honored tradition of Detroit basketball: Turning a hard court ballet into a back-alley brawl.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026

She’s on the wrong side of 50, has been fired from her retro-style exercise show and is so desperate that she’s considering submitting to a back-alley rejuvenation regime.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 6, 2024

In this country, before abortion was legal, women went to both reputable doctors and back-alley quacks to get care.

From Slate • Nov. 7, 2023

We shuddered when we listened to the stories of our older generations who described back-alley abortions.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 5, 2022

After the pathetic back-alley drama, I headed to Burton’s pharmacy, which had been the real purpose of the trip downtown.

From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx