An alleyway is a narrow path between buildings, often behind shops or houses — just wide enough to walk, maybe to ride a scooter. It is the same thing as an alley; alleyway simply makes the “path” meaning extra clear. In a city you use an alleyway as a shortcut, to reach a back door, or to put out rubbish. It is an ordinary word, not fancy. Though actually, stories sometimes make an alleyway feel hidden or a little dark, so the word can pick up an uneasy colour — but the word itself just names the narrow way, not danger.