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Meaning & use

alongside

preposition·Everyday

Last updated

UK/əˌlɒŋˈsaɪd/
US/əˌlɔːŋˈsaɪd/

Meanings

  1. preposition

    Next to and at the side of something or someone.

    Grammar: Takes a noun or pronoun as its object: alongside the road, alongside me.

    Patterns

    • alongside someone/something
    • park alongside something

    The bicycle was parked alongside the wall.

    She walked alongside her friend in silence.

    A small boat floated alongside the pier.

  2. preposition

    Together with someone or something, especially in work or cooperation.

    Grammar: Often used with verbs of working or existing: work alongside, develop alongside.

    Patterns

    • work alongside someone
    • develop alongside something

    He worked alongside experienced engineers for two years.

    The new law was drafted alongside industry experts.

    Their language skills grew alongside their confidence.

Common combinations

work alongside
She worked alongside volunteers at the shelter.
stand alongside
The two leaders stood alongside each other for the photo.
park alongside
You can park alongside the river.
alongside each other
The two teams trained alongside each other.
alongside the road
Wildflowers grew alongside the road.

Synonyms and how they differ

beside
Beside means next to, but it is less common than alongside when talking about cooperation or long-side positioning.
next to
Next to is more everyday and usually refers to physical position, not cooperation.
with
With is broader and can mean 'in the company of'; alongside emphasizes working or existing side by side.

Opposites

away fromapart from

Word family

along preposition
From one end of something toward the other; also means 'forward'.

Commonly confused: alongside or beside? alongside or along?

alongside vs beside

Beside means 'next to' but is not used for cooperation: you stand beside someone, but you work alongside someone.

alongside vs along

Along means 'from one end to the other' (walk along the street), while alongside means 'at the side of'.

Practice

The two companies have agreed to work ______ each other on the project.

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