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

The playing surface Saturday stretched almost from grandstand to grandstand, with just enough room for the benches behind the west sideline, measuring 70 yards wide by 110 yards long. —Evan Webeck, Mercury News, 15 Sep. 2025

The track’s curves are painted in the green, white and red of the Italian flag, grandstands are embedded into the landscape and campsites sprawl into the distance. —Jonathan Hawkins, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 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