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
Synonyms
Examples of sideways in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Though their plan goes sideways, Lao She and Judge Dee form a bond that carries them into the murder investigation of Ma Ze Ren, a Chinese national and shop owner who served with the Chinese Labour Corps in France during WWI.
—
Paula L. Woods, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
For the neck, this means having your head in perfect alignment without bending forward, back, sideways or rotated, as this puts the least amount of stress on the supporting structures of the cervical spine.
—Jacqueline Laurean Yates, ABC News, 1 Apr. 2024
The fact that the lander ended up somewhat sideways did not matter, Nelson said, especially since there were no people on board.
—Christian Davenport, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024
During an earlier storm Monday, heavy rain blew sideways at times, with much of the Bay Area soaked.
—Ethan Baron, The Mercury News, 20 Feb. 2024
The magma that left the sill had moved sideways before shimmying upward directly below Grindavík.
—Robin George Andrews, Quanta Magazine, 20 Feb. 2024
But learning from others may improve your chances of a good time—even when things inevitably go sideways.
—Stacey Lastoe, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Mar. 2024
The mission had already begun to go sideways when Dana Beal — a pioneer of New York’s marijuana legalization movement but someone who has never obtained a driver’s license — enlisted a ketamine enthusiast to chauffeur him across America.
—Corey Kilgannon, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2024
Most jurors determined that a plan engineered by Tavares Calloway to rob some small-time weed dealers nearly three decades ago went horribly sideways.
—Charles Rabin, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2024
Paula L. Woods, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
For the neck, this means having your head in perfect alignment without bending forward, back, sideways or rotated, as this puts the least amount of stress on the supporting structures of the cervical spine.
—Jacqueline Laurean Yates, ABC News, 1 Apr. 2024
The fact that the lander ended up somewhat sideways did not matter, Nelson said, especially since there were no people on board.
—Christian Davenport, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024
During an earlier storm Monday, heavy rain blew sideways at times, with much of the Bay Area soaked.
—Ethan Baron, The Mercury News, 20 Feb. 2024
The magma that left the sill had moved sideways before shimmying upward directly below Grindavík.
—Robin George Andrews, Quanta Magazine, 20 Feb. 2024
But learning from others may improve your chances of a good time—even when things inevitably go sideways.
—Stacey Lastoe, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Mar. 2024
The mission had already begun to go sideways when Dana Beal — a pioneer of New York’s marijuana legalization movement but someone who has never obtained a driver’s license — enlisted a ketamine enthusiast to chauffeur him across America.
—Corey Kilgannon, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2024
Most jurors determined that a plan engineered by Tavares Calloway to rob some small-time weed dealers nearly three decades ago went horribly sideways.
—Charles Rabin, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sideways.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near sideways
Cite this Entry
“Sideways.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sideways. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
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
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