sideways
adverb or adjective
side·ways
ˈsīd-ˌwāz 
1
: from one side
2
: with one side forward
turn sideways
3
a
: in a lateral direction or downward to one side
hopped sideways
slump sideways
b
: askance
look sideways at someone
Examples of sideways in a Sentence
I had to walk sideways to get between the two towering piles of boxes
she glanced at us sideways when she heard us claim we weren't there that night
Recent Examples on the Web
Some international airports still require paper passes, and having one makes rebooking much smoother if travel plans go sideways.
—
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 18 May 2026
The occupants of the boat began to argue and the boat turned sideways to the waves and wind.
—Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 13 May 2026
That is when things went sideways.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 11 May 2026
But that retention tool can quickly go sideways, as experienced by one Detroit-area senior systems engineer, who requested to remain anonymous.
—Erika Ebsworth-Goold, Travel + Leisure, 9 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for sideways
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.
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 18 May 2026
The occupants of the boat began to argue and the boat turned sideways to the waves and wind.
—Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 13 May 2026
That is when things went sideways.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 11 May 2026
But that retention tool can quickly go sideways, as experienced by one Detroit-area senior systems engineer, who requested to remain anonymous.
—Erika Ebsworth-Goold, Travel + Leisure, 9 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for sideways
Cite this Entry
“Sideways.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sideways. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sideways
adverb or adjective
side·ways
ˈsīd-ˌwāz
1
: from one side
viewed the stage sideways
2
: with one side forward
turn sideways
3
: to one side
fell sideways
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
