1
: a line at right angles to a goal line or end line and marking a side of a court or field of play for athletic games
2
a
: a line of goods sold in addition to one's principal line
b
: a business or activity pursued in addition to one's regular occupation
3
a
: the space immediately outside the lines along either side of an athletic field or court
b
: a sphere of little or no participation or activity
—usually used in plural
Examples of sideline in a Sentence
Noun
She makes and sells jewelry as a sideline.
Recent Examples on the Web
Justin Grasso, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Aug. 2025
Offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland met with Keegan along the sideline, appearing to coach him to slow down his process.
—Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2025
Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Aug. 2025
Cleveland was planning to trade Clase, who has three more years of team control, but instead the Guardians were sidelined and missed out on an opportunity to get a significant return, like the Twins received from the Phillies in the Jhoan Duran deal.
—Jim Bowden, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2025
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Noun
Terry McLaurin #17 of the Washington Commanders is interviewed on the sidelines against the Baltimore Ravens during the first half of a preseason game at M&T Bank Stadium on August 27, 2022 in Baltimore, Maryland.
—Justin Grasso, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Aug. 2025
Offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland met with Keegan along the sideline, appearing to coach him to slow down his process.
—Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2025
Verb
After remaining sidelined by injury for more than a season since being drafted, Painter has logged a 4.42 ERA across High-A and Triple-A so far this year.
—Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Aug. 2025
Cleveland was planning to trade Clase, who has three more years of team control, but instead the Guardians were sidelined and missed out on an opportunity to get a significant return, like the Twins received from the Phillies in the Jhoan Duran deal.
—Jim Bowden, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sideline
Cite this Entry
“Sideline.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sideline. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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