View synonyms for

side street

noun

a street leading away from a main street; an unimportant street or one carrying but little traffic.

side street

noun

a minor or unimportant street, esp one leading off a main thoroughfare

Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of side street¹

First recorded in 1610–20

Discover More

Idioms and Phrases

A minor thoroughfare that carries little traffic, as in Our favorite hotel is on a quiet little side street . The side in this idiom means “off to one side, away from the main street.” [c. 1600] Also see back street .

Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

There were all those familiar landmarks and peaceful side streets tucked away in pockets of California you don’t often see on the big screen.

From

His book is, on one level, a relic of a lost moment — a time before the Iranian revolution, when Afghanistan was a place a young traveler could "wander down a dreamy side street."

From

The freeway was expected to open in the hours after the crash, but authorities expected side streets where traffic was diverted could be affected for longer.

From

Burnt out cars and debris are piled high along the side streets - barricades built by the gangs to block access.

From

Protest flags fluttered in the cold winter breeze, while in the side streets vendors sold waffles and pastries stuffed with red-bean paste to hungry protesters.

From

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

sidestream smoke sidestroke

Browse