the bench
noun
1
law
: the place where a judge sits in a court of law
The lawyer asked if he could approach the bench.
2
: a long seat where the members of a sports team wait during a game for a chance to play
He spent most of his season on the bench.
He plays better coming off the bench.
Examples of the bench in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Napheesa Collier led the way with 20 points and six rebounds on 7-for-11 from the field, with Natisha Hiedeman scoring 18 off the bench.
—
Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
Back then, the thought of ending up on the bench as a major-league manager hadn’t even crossed Montgomery’s mind.
—Andrew Wagner, Oc Register, 17 Sep. 2025
In her playoff debut back in Climate Pledge Arena since her exit from the Storm in the offseason, Jewell Loyd had an additional 13 points off the bench.
—Allison Smith, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Point guard Natisha Hiedeman has torched the Valkyries coming off the bench.
—Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the bench
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.
Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
Back then, the thought of ending up on the bench as a major-league manager hadn’t even crossed Montgomery’s mind.
—Andrew Wagner, Oc Register, 17 Sep. 2025
In her playoff debut back in Climate Pledge Arena since her exit from the Storm in the offseason, Jewell Loyd had an additional 13 points off the bench.
—Allison Smith, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Point guard Natisha Hiedeman has torched the Valkyries coming off the bench.
—Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the bench
Cite this Entry
“The bench.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20bench. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share