on the outside

idiom

1

: on the outer side, edge, or surface of something

The number 22 car tried to pass the leader on the outside (of the track).

2

baseball : on the side of home plate farthest from the batter

The next pitch was a fastball on the outside.

3

—used to describe someone's appearance

I might seem calm on the outside, but I'm actually really nervous.

4

: not in prison

He looked forward to life on the outside again.

Examples of on the outside in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Eagles took away quarterback Dak Prescott’s primary targets on the outside, and he was pressured by a defender and forced to throw a pass underneath to tight end Jake Ferguson, short of the goal line. —Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Nov. 2025

Spray your favorite cleaning spray on the outside and inside before using a paper towel or cleaning cloth to wipe your trash can down before inserting your new bag. —Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 23 Nov. 2025

The hiring process is a major preview of workplace culture; if what is represented on the outside is messy, candidates imagine that what’s going on inside likely is too. —Neil Costa, Fortune, 21 Nov. 2025

This summer, Pablo Kalaka took a step back from what used to be a barren wall on the outside of Bro-Tex. —Conor Wight, CBS News, 21 Nov. 2025

Rhymes for on the outside

• acetamide
• acetonide
• acidified
• antimonide
• beatified
• benzaldehyde
• borohydride
• chalcogenide
• commodified
• decalcified
• declassified
• disaccharide