doorway

noun

door·​way ˈdȯr-ˌwā How to pronounce doorway (audio)
Synonyms of doorwaynext
1
: the opening that a door closes
especially : an entrance into a building or room
2
: door sense 3

Synonyms of doorway

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Examples of doorway in a Sentence

Please don't block the doorway. She stepped through the doorway. He stood in the doorway, wondering if he should go in. Homeless people sleep in the doorways of the shops.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The hubbub from the restaurant immediately stops for a moment (with Ninh observing the loud pot smash from an open doorway), before the patrons soon enough resume their conversations at basically the exact same noise level. — Josh Slater-Williams, IndieWire, 10 Aug. 2026 But with sneakers strewn in the doorway and a cookbook opened to a specific recipe, the faux house felt lived in. — Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026 Bear straps are metal sheets that reinforce areas on planes like doorways and emergency exits. — ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026 Also, August 8 is approximately the halfway mark of the season, another reason the doorway is activated. — Lisa Stardust, Vogue, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for doorway

Word History

First Known Use

1653, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of doorway was in 1653

Rhymes for doorway

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Browse Nearby Words

doorward
doorway
doorweed
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Cite this Entry

“Doorway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/doorway. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

doorway

noun
door·​way -ˌwā How to pronounce doorway (audio)
1
: the opening or passage that a door closes
2
: a means of reaching or gaining something
the doorway to success

More from Merriam-Webster on doorway

Nglish: Translation of doorway for Spanish Speakers

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