1
: to or toward the side
stepped aside
2
: away from others or into privacy
pulled him aside
3
: out of the way especially for future use : away
putting aside savings
4
: away from one's thought or consideration
All kidding aside, we really need to get busy.
1
: an utterance not meant to be heard by someone
especially
: an actor's speech heard by the audience but supposedly not by other characters
2
: a comment or discussion that does not relate directly to the main subject being discussed : digression
He frequently interrupted his narrative with amusing asides.
Examples of aside in a Sentence
Adverb
He stepped aside and let her pass.
He threw his coat aside.
She laid the book aside.
He elbowed people aside as he moved through the crowd.
He took her aside to speak to her privately.
Someone grabbed him and pulled him aside.
Noun
She made a joke about the food in a muttered aside to her husband.
The book includes several lengthy asides about the personal lives of scientists involved in the project.
In his speech he mentioned her contributions almost as an aside, despite the fact that she was the one who came up with the idea originally.
Recent Examples on the Web
Simon Shuster / Vilnius, TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
Lucas said the new city budget has $1 million set aside to provide refugees and migrants with short-term housing, health care and job training.
—Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2024
Family and self-funding aside, U.S. Sen. Mike Braun, who polling says is the race's frontrunner, comes out on top in fundraising.
—Kayla Dwyer, The Indianapolis Star, 16 Apr. 2024
Hough has had a busy few years aside, from her writing endeavors.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024
Meager coverage range aside, the FE 16-25mm F2.8 has a quality construction.
—PCMAG, 16 Apr. 2024
Three suspects — two from Sacramento and another from Antioch — shoved a woman aside to take her pickup truck and steal her cigarettes before fleeing the scene, according to police and archived radio dispatches.
—Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 16 Apr. 2024
Soon afterward, Iris said, an officer took him aside to break the news.
—Ames Alexander, Charlotte Observer, 16 Apr. 2024
Cut each slice into 10-12 smaller pieces and set aside.
3.
—Gisela Williams, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2024
Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 11 Mar. 2024
An action comedy written by Dax Shepard and co-starring him opposite his real-life partner Kristen Bell, Hit & Run gives off Tarantino vibes, featuring more than a few comedic asides, violent outbursts, and meandering banter.
—Johnny Loftus, EW.com, 14 Nov. 2023
Smirnov noted, seemingly as an aside, that Hunter Biden was on Burisma’s board, which had been widely reported.
—Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2024
As with last year’s sublime Super Mario Bros. Wonder, the developers have infused every aspect of this game with quirky little asides and creative flair that elevate what could be an otherwise bland-looking title.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 23 Feb. 2024
This isn’t a film fueled by quips and cynical asides about modern life.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Dec. 2023
Later, Dakota’s voiceover narration and non-fiction asides take us back to 1910, before a fire consumed a previous iteration of the attractions.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 30 Jan. 2024
Republicans seem to remember Trump’s social-media habits as either funny asides or inconsequential distractions — or both.
—Noah Rothman, National Review, 15 Jan. 2024
His sidebars and asides sparkle with an impromptu charm that invites reflection.
—Karen D'souza, The Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2024
Cooper Burton, ABC News, 18 Apr. 2024
But financial planners often say a worker needs to spend at least 25 years building retirement savings, setting aside at least 10% of their earnings.
—USA TODAY, 17 Apr. 2024
Similarly, the Camp David summit last year underscored the depths of Tokyo’s and Seoul’s unease about China’s growing assertiveness, prompting the two Asian neighbors to set aside decades of lingering tension over colonial occupation and World War II.
—Olivia Wang, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024
The person grieving will oscillate between both modes—at times mourning, and at times setting aside emotions to nurture new relationships or figure out the logistics of a different life without their loved one.
—Angela Haupt, TIME, 10 Apr. 2024
The 2022 unionization effort failed, but Gollin set aside the election results and said Woodford Reserve and its parent company should recognize and bargain with a local Teamsters union.
—Bruce Schreiner, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2024
Getting the country back on course will require the political elite to set aside their differences and recognize that their country may soon collapse.
—Alex De Waal, Foreign Affairs, 8 Apr. 2024
Related article Ex-girlfriend sues Jonathan Majors over battery and defamation accusations
Majors’ attorney filed a motion in February asking Judge Michael Gaffey to set aside the verdict and acquit him of the charges.
—Nicki Brown, CNN, 3 Apr. 2024
Jonathan Majors faced another legal setback this week when the judge in his domestic violence case declined his lawyer’s motion to set aside his December guilty verdict.
—Eric Andersson, Peoplemag, 3 Apr. 2024
Adverb
Small apartments were set aside for such visits on the prison grounds, each equipped with a kitchen, a bed and a TV set.
—Simon Shuster / Vilnius, TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
Lucas said the new city budget has $1 million set aside to provide refugees and migrants with short-term housing, health care and job training.
—Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2024
Family and self-funding aside, U.S. Sen. Mike Braun, who polling says is the race's frontrunner, comes out on top in fundraising.
—Kayla Dwyer, The Indianapolis Star, 16 Apr. 2024
Hough has had a busy few years aside, from her writing endeavors.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024
Meager coverage range aside, the FE 16-25mm F2.8 has a quality construction.
—PCMAG, 16 Apr. 2024
Three suspects — two from Sacramento and another from Antioch — shoved a woman aside to take her pickup truck and steal her cigarettes before fleeing the scene, according to police and archived radio dispatches.
—Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 16 Apr. 2024
Soon afterward, Iris said, an officer took him aside to break the news.
—Ames Alexander, Charlotte Observer, 16 Apr. 2024
Cut each slice into 10-12 smaller pieces and set aside.
3.
—Gisela Williams, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2024
Noun
Stone seemed genuinely shocked by her win, which led to a lot of funny, personal asides.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 11 Mar. 2024
An action comedy written by Dax Shepard and co-starring him opposite his real-life partner Kristen Bell, Hit & Run gives off Tarantino vibes, featuring more than a few comedic asides, violent outbursts, and meandering banter.
—Johnny Loftus, EW.com, 14 Nov. 2023
Smirnov noted, seemingly as an aside, that Hunter Biden was on Burisma’s board, which had been widely reported.
—Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2024
As with last year’s sublime Super Mario Bros. Wonder, the developers have infused every aspect of this game with quirky little asides and creative flair that elevate what could be an otherwise bland-looking title.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 23 Feb. 2024
This isn’t a film fueled by quips and cynical asides about modern life.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Dec. 2023
Later, Dakota’s voiceover narration and non-fiction asides take us back to 1910, before a fire consumed a previous iteration of the attractions.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 30 Jan. 2024
Republicans seem to remember Trump’s social-media habits as either funny asides or inconsequential distractions — or both.
—Noah Rothman, National Review, 15 Jan. 2024
His sidebars and asides sparkle with an impromptu charm that invites reflection.
—Karen D'souza, The Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2024
Preposition
But setting aside the differences between the datasets, almost half of the nation's governors still had a net approval rating of +10 points or higher among the non-Morning Consult polls.
—Cooper Burton, ABC News, 18 Apr. 2024
But financial planners often say a worker needs to spend at least 25 years building retirement savings, setting aside at least 10% of their earnings.
—USA TODAY, 17 Apr. 2024
Similarly, the Camp David summit last year underscored the depths of Tokyo’s and Seoul’s unease about China’s growing assertiveness, prompting the two Asian neighbors to set aside decades of lingering tension over colonial occupation and World War II.
—Olivia Wang, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024
The person grieving will oscillate between both modes—at times mourning, and at times setting aside emotions to nurture new relationships or figure out the logistics of a different life without their loved one.
—Angela Haupt, TIME, 10 Apr. 2024
The 2022 unionization effort failed, but Gollin set aside the election results and said Woodford Reserve and its parent company should recognize and bargain with a local Teamsters union.
—Bruce Schreiner, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2024
Getting the country back on course will require the political elite to set aside their differences and recognize that their country may soon collapse.
—Alex De Waal, Foreign Affairs, 8 Apr. 2024
Related article Ex-girlfriend sues Jonathan Majors over battery and defamation accusations
Majors’ attorney filed a motion in February asking Judge Michael Gaffey to set aside the verdict and acquit him of the charges.
—Nicki Brown, CNN, 3 Apr. 2024
Jonathan Majors faced another legal setback this week when the judge in his domestic violence case declined his lawyer’s motion to set aside his December guilty verdict.
—Eric Andersson, Peoplemag, 3 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'aside.' 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 aside
Cite this Entry
“Aside.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aside. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
aside
2 of 2 noun
: words meant not to be heard by someone
especially
: an actor's words supposedly not heard by others on the stage
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