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
But Merle does feel obliged to teach a lesson to Todd, the guy running the gang on the outside, who has been bending over backward to accommodate Mike.
—
Noel Murray, Vulture, 14 Dec. 2025
Underlap These days, this is a perfectly acceptable word when a full-back runs inside a winger who is in possession, rather than the traditional run, the overlap on the outside.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 14 Dec. 2025
The Lions enter play Sunday on the outside looking in of the NFC playoff picture.
—Jacob Camenker, USA Today, 14 Dec. 2025
Like, part of committing to that kind of vocation is to be taken away, to be exiled, to be on the outside, to be alienated, and how often that happens.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 13 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for on the outside
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Noel Murray, Vulture, 14 Dec. 2025
Underlap These days, this is a perfectly acceptable word when a full-back runs inside a winger who is in possession, rather than the traditional run, the overlap on the outside.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 14 Dec. 2025
The Lions enter play Sunday on the outside looking in of the NFC playoff picture.
—Jacob Camenker, USA Today, 14 Dec. 2025
Like, part of committing to that kind of vocation is to be taken away, to be exiled, to be on the outside, to be alienated, and how often that happens.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 13 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for on the outside
Cite this Entry
“On the outside.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20the%20outside. Accessed 16 Dec. 2025.
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