the bench
noun
1
law
: the place where a judge sits in a court of law
The lawyer asked if he could approach the bench.
2
: a long seat where the members of a sports team wait during a game for a chance to play
He spent most of his season on the bench.
He plays better coming off the bench.
Examples of the bench in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Maybe the bench does it more naturally, but the running didn’t stop when the starters were together.
—
Eric Koreen, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
While on the bench, refs missed a basket interference violation on the Lakers, which Green was rather colorful about.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2025
And don't sleep on rotation players like longtime center Isaiah Stewart and the three-and-D specialist Robinson, who both give the team veteran depth off the bench.
—Christian Romo, Freep.com, 22 Oct. 2025
Ayton had one block, while Smart achieved a steal off the bench.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the bench
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Eric Koreen, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
While on the bench, refs missed a basket interference violation on the Lakers, which Green was rather colorful about.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2025
And don't sleep on rotation players like longtime center Isaiah Stewart and the three-and-D specialist Robinson, who both give the team veteran depth off the bench.
—Christian Romo, Freep.com, 22 Oct. 2025
Ayton had one block, while Smart achieved a steal off the bench.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the bench
Cite this Entry
“The bench.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20bench. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share