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
Clark then stood from the bench and was replaced in the lineup by rookie Raven Johnson.
—
James Boyd, New York Times, 2 June 2026
Eventually, Pollard became a vital big man off the bench for the Kings, backing up Webber and Divac and occasionally starting.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 2 June 2026
Others, including Office 65, which has no incumbent judge in the race, are much harder ones, because several candidates are very much worth your votes and all would serve with integrity on the bench.
—The Editorial Board, Daily News, 2 June 2026
These entities have the bench depth to absorb a physician’s periodic absence and the corporate infrastructure to manage the arrangement.
—Robert Krasner, STAT, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for the bench
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James Boyd, New York Times, 2 June 2026
Eventually, Pollard became a vital big man off the bench for the Kings, backing up Webber and Divac and occasionally starting.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 2 June 2026
Others, including Office 65, which has no incumbent judge in the race, are much harder ones, because several candidates are very much worth your votes and all would serve with integrity on the bench.
—The Editorial Board, Daily News, 2 June 2026
These entities have the bench depth to absorb a physician’s periodic absence and the corporate infrastructure to manage the arrangement.
—Robert Krasner, STAT, 1 June 2026
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 6 Jun. 2026.
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