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
Jordan Lee scored 14 and freshman Aaliyah Crump added 12 points off the bench as Texas (21-2, 6-2 SEC) won its 38th consecutive home game and improved to 7-2 this season against AP Top 25 opponents.
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Arkansas Online, 2 Feb. 2026
The game hit a bit of an offensive lull as foul trouble sent UConn’s starters to the bench.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 1 Feb. 2026
Freshman Hudson Mayes came off the bench to lead UCSD with 11 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
—Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Feb. 2026
The Kings have struggled to find competent wing defenders beyond Murray for years and Hunter represents another option to play both forward spots next to Murray in the starting lineup or coming off the bench.
—Hector Amezcua, Sacbee.com, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the bench
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Arkansas Online, 2 Feb. 2026
The game hit a bit of an offensive lull as foul trouble sent UConn’s starters to the bench.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 1 Feb. 2026
Freshman Hudson Mayes came off the bench to lead UCSD with 11 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
—Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Feb. 2026
The Kings have struggled to find competent wing defenders beyond Murray for years and Hunter represents another option to play both forward spots next to Murray in the starting lineup or coming off the bench.
—Hector Amezcua, Sacbee.com, 1 Feb. 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 4 Feb. 2026.
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