Meaning & use

sideline

noun·Everyday

One of the lines marking the boundary along the side of a playing field, or the area just outside it.

See it in a sentence

The injured player watched the rest of the game from the sideline.

Coaches paced anxiously along the sideline shouting instructions to their players.

A note on using this word

Figuratively, 'on the sidelines' means not actively involved, as in 'she watched the negotiations from the sidelines.'

Words with a similar meaning

This term is best learned through its definition and examples.

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. noun

An activity pursued in addition to one's main job or occupation.

He started a small woodworking business as a sideline to his teaching job.

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