bench

noun

\ ˈbench

Definition of bench

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a : a long seat for two or more persons

b : a thwart in a boat

c(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 court

b : the place where justice is administered : court

c : the office or dignity of a judge sat on the bench for 20 years

d : the persons who sit as judges

3a : the office or dignity of an official

b : a seat for an official

c : the officials occupying a bench

4a : a long worktable also : laboratory bench chemist bench test

b : a table forming part of a machine

5 : terrace, shelf: such as

a : a former wave-cut shore of a sea or lake or floodplain of a river

b : 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

bench

verb

benched; benching; benches

Definition of bench (Entry 2 of 3)

transitive verb

1 : to furnish with benches

2a : to seat on a bench

b(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

Bench

biographical name

\ ˈbench

Definition of Bench (Entry 3 of 3)

Johnny (Lee) 1947– American baseball player

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about bench

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Synonyms for bench

Synonyms: Noun

adjudicator, beak [chiefly British], court, judge, jurist, justice, magistrate

Examples of bench in a Sentence

Noun

The lawyer asked if he could approach the bench. her recent appointment to the bench

Verb

The manager benched one of his most popular players.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Later, in the dugout, James finds the pitcher on the bench. — cincinnati.com, "From the Editor: Until you experience it, it's hard to comprehend the hidden costs of being poor," 13 June 2019 Teal Bunbury had a 25-game scoreless streak spanning two seasons before Arena’s first match on the bench. — Frank Dell’apa, BostonGlobe.com, "Revolution have regained their confidence under Bruce Arena," 13 June 2019 After allegations of a common pleas judge drunk on the bench, the state will review his cases. — Liz Dufour, Cincinnati.com, "State to review up to 2,700 court cases after allegations of judge's alcoholism," 13 June 2019 This meant Minnesota had three vacant spots on the bench. — Andy Greder, Twin Cities, "Minnesota United ends slumps in 4-1 win over Kansas City in U.S. Open Cup," 12 June 2019 Schneider retired in 1997 after 20 years on the bench in Jefferson County. — Billy Kobin, The Courier-Journal, "Nursing home, pharmacy to pay family nearly $13M in retired judge's death," 11 June 2019 However, that assumption overlooks the fact that Durant doesn’t necessarily make the choice to not join his teammates on the bench. — Connor Letourneau, SFChronicle.com, "Why the injured Kevin Durant doesn’t sit on the bench during Warriors games," 9 June 2019 The roster move left the Angels short a man on the bench, making Tommy La Stella the backup for first baseman Pujols. — Maria Torres, latimes.com, "Jose Suarez will make another spot start for Angels against Mariners," 8 June 2019 Montgomery already has a fan on the court The governor, who has appointed more state Supreme Court justices than any of his predecessors, has place only Republicans and independents on the bench as well, despite receiving bipartisan shortlists. — Maria Polletta, azcentral, "Bill Montgomery trying for Arizona Supreme Court seat — again," 3 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The next day, the players debated Butler’s benching and reviewed highlights to understand how Philadelphia quarterback Nick Foles pulled off that fourth-and-goal trick play. — Jacob Feldman, SI.com, "Football Meets Fútbol: World Cup Heightens Stars' Overlap, Mutual Admiration," 31 May 2018 The last time the Eagles drafted just six players was in 2015, the year Howie Roseman was benched and Chip Kelly ran everything. — Les Bowen, Philly.com, "Slim pickings this year for the Eagles? Their draft situation is historically bad," 22 Apr. 2018 Williams was benched after three starts in 2016, and Boehm lost his starting job after five weeks a year ago. — Kent Somers, azcentral, "Arizona Cardinals' General Manager Steve Keim's NFL drafts haven't always been 'Keim Time'," 20 Apr. 2018 But benching Butler and losing the game in the fashion the Patriots did may cause a few players in his locker room to second-guess his decisions from here on out. — Steven Ruiz, For The Win, "Patriots player likes Instagram post ripping Bill Belichick for benching Malcolm Butler," 5 Feb. 2018 Monday marks Nurkic's first game back at the Pepsi Center since his rocky two and a half seasons in Denver ended with him getting benched and demanding a trade last season. — Sean Meagher, OregonLive.com, "Trail Blazers postgame report: Jusuf Nurkic set to face former team," 21 Jan. 2018 Smith and Nelson each benched 225 pounds 35 times at the combine, tied for second behind Will Hernandez of UTEP (who went to the Giants with the second pick of the second round). — Nat Newell, Indianapolis Star, "Get to know Colts second round pick Braden Smith, another offensive lineman," 27 Apr. 2018 Locker was benched before the calendar even turned to October. — Greg Bishop, SI.com, "Why Jake Locker Walked Away From Football—and Why He Doesn’t Miss It," 18 Apr. 2018 As of early 2017, the bill has been benched and moved to the State Affairs committee for further discussion. — Fernando Ramirez, Houston Chronicle, "Reminder: Daylight saving time begins Sunday," 9 Mar. 2018

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.