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
White certainly exhibited terrific playmaking potential at UNLV, showing the ability to play both on the outside and in the slot.
—
Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Aug. 2025
As the end of the MLB regular season approaches, the Texas Rangers find themselves on the outside looking in for the final spot in the American League wild-card race.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Aug. 2025
The interesting question for me is who will be first up on the outside in the event Pat Surtain II or Riley Moss have to miss any time: Barron or Kris Abrams-Draine.
—Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2025
The 72-hour window to keep López at the facility under the Baker Act expired on April 22, but she would be kept there for another six days with little to no contact with anyone on the outside, including her mother, who had flown to Florida from Colombia to help her daughter.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for on the outside
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Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Aug. 2025
As the end of the MLB regular season approaches, the Texas Rangers find themselves on the outside looking in for the final spot in the American League wild-card race.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Aug. 2025
The interesting question for me is who will be first up on the outside in the event Pat Surtain II or Riley Moss have to miss any time: Barron or Kris Abrams-Draine.
—Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2025
The 72-hour window to keep López at the facility under the Baker Act expired on April 22, but she would be kept there for another six days with little to no contact with anyone on the outside, including her mother, who had flown to Florida from Colombia to help her daughter.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 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 27 Aug. 2025.
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