shortcut; back road; secret path
A lesser-known or unofficial route that lets you avoid the main road, often used to bypass traffic or reach a destination faster.
I took a back road to avoid the traffic jam.
There's a shortcut that only locals know about.
loophole; way out; escape route
A figurative way to avoid rules, responsibilities, or difficult situations; often used in legal, social, or personal contexts.
Some companies look for loopholes in the law.
He always tries to find a way out to avoid responsibility.
裏道 is simply a back street or side path, while 抜け道 specifically highlights using it to bypass traffic or, figuratively, to find a clever loophole.
抜け道 usually means a shortcut or loophole to avoid something, whereas 逃げ道 more directly means an escape from danger or a bad situation.
抜け道 often implies a loophole or shortcut (sometimes underhanded), while 活路 has a more positive, effortful connotation of overcoming hardship.
Standard kanji spelling; used in news and everyday writing.
Search-only kanji form; not commonly used in modern writing.
Rarely used kanji form; 路 is an alternative character for 'road'.
Compound of 抜ける (nukeru, 'to slip through, to exit') and 道 (michi, 'road, path'). The figurative sense developed from the idea of a path that lets you slip past obstacles.