on the outside
idiom
1
: on the outer side, edge, or surface of something
The number 22 car tried to pass the leader on the outside (of the track).
2
baseball
: on the side of home plate farthest from the batter
The next pitch was a fastball on the outside.
3
—used to describe someone's appearance
I might seem calm on the outside, but I'm actually really nervous.
4
: not in prison
He looked forward to life on the outside again.
Examples of on the outside in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Running back was one of the most competitive positions for the Chiefs, and on the outside looking in was Steele, the second-year running back/fullback.
—
Jeff Fedotin, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Regardless of their shape or place of origin, a few of these could comfortably fit into the palm of your hand, like Monopoly board tokens, and were sometimes stored in spherical clay envelopes impressed with markings on the outside to reflect their contents.
—Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2025
The researchers' design looks like a conventional grease trap on the outside, but actually features a a series of physical baffles which slow the flow of wastewater and separate larger fat particles.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 25 Aug. 2025
In this economy, then, the job-huggers are betting that there isn’t a better opportunity out there, and the young workers find themselves on the outside looking in.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for on the outside
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Jeff Fedotin, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Regardless of their shape or place of origin, a few of these could comfortably fit into the palm of your hand, like Monopoly board tokens, and were sometimes stored in spherical clay envelopes impressed with markings on the outside to reflect their contents.
—Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2025
The researchers' design looks like a conventional grease trap on the outside, but actually features a a series of physical baffles which slow the flow of wastewater and separate larger fat particles.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 25 Aug. 2025
In this economy, then, the job-huggers are betting that there isn’t a better opportunity out there, and the young workers find themselves on the outside looking in.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for on the outside
Cite this Entry
“On the outside.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20the%20outside. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
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