choose sides
idiom
: to divide a group into two teams that will play against each other
When we chose sides in gym class, I was always the last person to be picked to be on a team.
—often used figurativelyThey are forcing us to choose sides in the dispute.
Examples of choose sides in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Eat a coney dog downtown One thing to know — Detroiters choose sides.
—
Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 20 Apr. 2024
Below, during a recent conversation with THR, Henderson also discusses Garland’s decision to not choose sides in Civil War’s central conflict, instead basing the film in the objective perspective of its journalist characters.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Apr. 2024
The best piece of advice for Washington is not to engage, particularly in a way that forces it to choose sides and add yet another layer of complexity to the ongoing fissures.
—Aaron David Miller, Foreign Affairs, 24 July 2017
Donna endearingly struggled to choose sides in the matchup, eventually settling for a split Chiefs-Eagles jacket that donned equal support for both of her boys.
—Sean Neumann, Peoplemag, 6 Dec. 2023
Many Israelis and Palestinians are equally convinced that their victimhood justifies extreme and inhumane measures, and the rest of the world feels compelled to choose sides.
—Shivshankar Menon, Foreign Affairs, 16 Nov. 2023
Advertisement The essence of the controversy is this: Competing interest groups, in different ways, asked AS to choose sides in the war.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Nov. 2023
To many on the left, the Israel-Hamas war is spurring what feels like a permanent rupture, when previously sublimated differences become impossible to ignore and everyone must choose sides.
—Molly Ball, WSJ, 31 Oct. 2023
Neither has the votes to win at this stage, and Republicans are beginning to choose sides.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 6 Oct. 2023
Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 20 Apr. 2024
Below, during a recent conversation with THR, Henderson also discusses Garland’s decision to not choose sides in Civil War’s central conflict, instead basing the film in the objective perspective of its journalist characters.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Apr. 2024
The best piece of advice for Washington is not to engage, particularly in a way that forces it to choose sides and add yet another layer of complexity to the ongoing fissures.
—Aaron David Miller, Foreign Affairs, 24 July 2017
Donna endearingly struggled to choose sides in the matchup, eventually settling for a split Chiefs-Eagles jacket that donned equal support for both of her boys.
—Sean Neumann, Peoplemag, 6 Dec. 2023
Many Israelis and Palestinians are equally convinced that their victimhood justifies extreme and inhumane measures, and the rest of the world feels compelled to choose sides.
—Shivshankar Menon, Foreign Affairs, 16 Nov. 2023
Advertisement The essence of the controversy is this: Competing interest groups, in different ways, asked AS to choose sides in the war.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Nov. 2023
To many on the left, the Israel-Hamas war is spurring what feels like a permanent rupture, when previously sublimated differences become impossible to ignore and everyone must choose sides.
—Molly Ball, WSJ, 31 Oct. 2023
Neither has the votes to win at this stage, and Republicans are beginning to choose sides.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 6 Oct. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'choose sides.' 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 choose sides
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“Choose sides.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/choose%20sides. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
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