1
: to or toward the side
stepped aside
2
: away from others or into privacy
pulled him aside
3
: out of the way especially for future use : away
putting aside savings
4
: away from one's thought or consideration
All kidding aside, we really need to get busy.
1
: an utterance not meant to be heard by someone
especially
: an actor's speech heard by the audience but supposedly not by other characters
2
: a comment or discussion that does not relate directly to the main subject being discussed : digression
He frequently interrupted his narrative with amusing asides.
Examples of aside in a Sentence
Adverb
He stepped aside and let her pass.
He threw his coat aside.
She laid the book aside.
He elbowed people aside as he moved through the crowd.
He took her aside to speak to her privately.
Someone grabbed him and pulled him aside.
Noun
She made a joke about the food in a muttered aside to her husband.
The book includes several lengthy asides about the personal lives of scientists involved in the project.
In his speech he mentioned her contributions almost as an aside, despite the fact that she was the one who came up with the idea originally.
Recent Examples on the Web
Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 8 June 2025
On the 10th and 11th floors, the BOP set aside four units that can each hold up to 125 people — 500 people total — and ICE assigned two staff members to each floor.
—Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 7 June 2025
Susan Morrison, airmail.news, 22 Feb. 2025
Mentioned almost as an aside during jury selection last week, the subject of the suddenly unreachable Victim-3, came up on May 9 in what was supposed to be near formality of a hearing.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 11 May 2025
Jim Saunders, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 June 2025
Latisha plans to start saving for retirement by setting aside $2,000 this year.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for aside
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adverb
Lightly coat a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray; sprinkle with cornstarch; set aside.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 8 June 2025
On the 10th and 11th floors, the BOP set aside four units that can each hold up to 125 people — 500 people total — and ICE assigned two staff members to each floor.
—Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 7 June 2025
Noun
There were the laugh-free auditions, the under-the-breath asides, the sphinx-like questions to interviewees who had sat on the couch in his outer office at 30 Rock for hours, listening as assistants booked helicopters to the Hamptons.
—Susan Morrison, airmail.news, 22 Feb. 2025
Mentioned almost as an aside during jury selection last week, the subject of the suddenly unreachable Victim-3, came up on May 9 in what was supposed to be near formality of a hearing.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 11 May 2025
Preposition
Proposals exchanged last week between the House and Senate included the possibility of setting aside $15 million for restoration of the river.
—Jim Saunders, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 June 2025
Latisha plans to start saving for retirement by setting aside $2,000 this year.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for aside
Cite this Entry
“Aside.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aside. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
aside
2 of 2 noun
: words meant not to be heard by someone
especially
: an actor's words supposedly not heard by others on the stage
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