grandstand

1 of 3

noun

grand·​stand ˈgran(d)-ˌstand 

1

: a usually roofed stand for spectators at a racecourse or stadium

2

: audience

grandstand

2 of 3

adjective

: done for show or to impress onlookers

grandstand

3 of 3

verb

grandstanded; grandstanding; grandstands

intransitive verb

: to play or act so as to impress onlookers

Examples of grandstand in a Sentence

Adjective

The outfielder made a grandstand play out of what should have been a routine catch.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Several premium seat options are no longer available, but some general admission tickets in the grandstands are available. —Liam Adams, The Tennessean, 30 Aug. 2025

There are plenty of ways to get in on the action, from standard grandstand tickets to interactive activations from American Express and Chase, along with fun pop-ups celebrating the sport. —Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 27 Aug. 2025

Verb

Court watchers and First Amendment scholars have praised Davis’ stewardship of both cases: He has been seen as an evenhanded arbiter with little patience for grandstanding or shenanigans from either side. —Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2025

Local leaders have treated public office as an opportunity to grandstand without delivering the changes citizens have demanded. —Y. David Scharf, New York Daily News, 17 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1754, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1883, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1915, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for grandstand

• armband
• backhand
• bandstand
• baseband
• broadband
• command
• cropland
• demand
• disband
• dreamland
• expand
• farmhand

Kids Definition

grandstand

noun

grand·​stand

-ˌstand

: a usually roofed stand for spectators at a racecourse or stadium