Definition of bench
1a : a long seat for two or more personsb : a thwart in a boatc (1) : a seat on which the members of an athletic team await a turn or opportunity to play (2) : the reserve players on a team; broadly : a reserve force
2a : the seat where a judge sits in courtb : the place where justice is administered : courtc : the office or dignity of a judge sat on the bench for 20 yearsd : the persons who sit as judges
3a : the office or dignity of an officialb : a seat for an officialc : the officials occupying a bench
4a : a long worktable; also : laboratory bench chemist bench testb : a table forming part of a machine
5 : terrace, shelf: such asa : a former wave-cut shore of a sea or lake or floodplain of a riverb : a shelf or ridge formed in working an open excavation on more than one level
6 : a compartmented platform on which dogs or cats are kept at a show when not being judged
From the M-W Editors
Examples of bench in a Sentence
The lawyer asked if he could approach the bench.
her recent appointment to the bench
Recent Examples of bench from the Web
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Tocchet and the Los Angeles Kings’ John Stevens are longtime assistants with some time running a bench, while the Dallas Stars’ Ken Hitchcock and Vegas Golden Knights’ Gerard Gallant represent the only seasoned coaches.
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But that didn't stop a legion of coaches (and media) from sitting courtside to watch the 6-foot-5 Langford cheer on his team, Twenty Two Vision, from the bench.
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The back patio is a solid retreat: Grab a drink, take a seat on one of the benches, and wait out the cacophony inside.
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Instead, after a year off following his one-year stint as Cubs manager, Renteria joined the Sox — first as bench coach for the 2016 season and now as manager.
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There’s no question Donald helped me get on the bench.
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Later that day, Alex is sitting on a bench outside of Veronica’s law office.
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In an unusual step, Sotomayor read her dissent from the bench.
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The Sounders and their bench protested furiously but to no avail.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bench.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of bench
Middle English, from Old English benc; akin to Old High German bank bench
bench
Definition of bench
transitive verb
1 : to furnish with benches
2a : to seat on a benchb (1) : to remove from or keep out of a game; broadly : to remove from use or from a position (2) : to remove from the starting lineup
3 : to exhibit (dogs or cats) to the public on a bench
4 : to lift (a weight) in a bench press bench 200 pounds
intransitive verb
: to form a bench by natural processes
Examples of bench in a Sentence
The manager benched one of his most popular players.
Recent Examples of bench from the Web
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Down the stretch off his second season, Russell was benched and then shifted off the ball, raising questions about his role next season.
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One of the options Lue has heading into Wednesday’s Game 3 is to bench struggling starting guard J.R. Smith for Iman Shumpert, who played well defensively in Game 2 but wore himself out guarding Durant and needed IV fluids afterward.
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The Predators call the 6-foot-5 Finn their backbone, yet critics wanted him benched after looking so shaky in the first two games in Pittsburgh, giving up eight goals on just 36 shots.
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The White House attributed Spicer's absence to Navy reserve duty, but Spicer had been on duty the week before, and CNN reported that he actually was benched in favor of Sanders.
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She was benched the first two months of the year while healing from left-wrist surgery in the off-season.
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Coming out of college Phillips, who was benched at one point last year, had a reputation for taking plays off.
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Kalil watched at home in Charlotte as Newton was benched for a dress code violation and the Panthers were shellacked 40-7 in a prime-time embarrassment.
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The 34-year-old Fitzpatrick was benched in favor of Geno Smith at first and then Bryce Petty to end the season.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bench.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of bench
14th century
Bench
playDefinition of Bench
Johnny (Lee) 1947– American baseball player
BENCH Defined for English Language Learners
bench
playDefinition of bench for English Language Learners
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: a long and usually hard seat for two or more people
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the bench law : the place where a judge sits in a court of law
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: the position or rank of a judge
bench
Definition of bench for English Language Learners
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sports : to not allow (a player) to play in a game : to put (a player) on the bench
BENCH Defined for Kids
bench
playDefinition of bench for Students
1 : a long seat for two or more persons a park bench
2 : a long table for holding work and tools a carpenter's bench
3 : the position or rank of a judge
Law Dictionary
bench
Legal Definition of bench
1 : the place where a judge sits in court asked counsel to approach the bench — compare bar 1a, dock, jury box, sidebar, stand
2 : the court or system of courts serving an area the federal bench
3a : the office of a judge appointed to the bench b : the body of persons who hold positions as judges members of the bench and bar — compare bar 2a c : a judge or panel of judges hearing a case unless the lawyer is responding to a question from the bench — R. H. Bork
Learn More about bench
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See words that rhyme with bench Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for bench Spanish Central: Translation of bench Nglish: Translation of bench for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of bench for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bench
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