sideline

1 of 2

noun

side·​line ˈsīd-ˌlīn 

1

: a line at right angles to a goal line or end line and marking a side of a court or field of play for athletic games

2

a

: a line of goods sold in addition to one's principal line

b

: a business or activity pursued in addition to one's regular occupation

3

a

: the space immediately outside the lines along either side of an athletic field or court

b

: a sphere of little or no participation or activity

—usually used in plural

sideline

2 of 2

verb

sidelined; sidelining; sidelines

transitive verb

: to put out of action : put on the sidelines

Examples of sideline in a Sentence

Noun

She makes and sells jewelry as a sideline.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Orlando’s Lacy Schneemann is still out with an ankle issue; she was seen on the sidelines wearing a brace of some sort. — Todd Boss, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

At a Mommy and Me tennis class, moms step off the sidelines and share the court with their kids. — Lynda Lin Grigsby, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026

Verb

Taylor Moton, the Panthers veteran starting right tackle, will be sidelined when the regular season kicks off in September. — Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 22 July 2026

This isn’t always the case; the introduction of AirPower was quickly sidelined, and Apple returned to the industry standard. — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1862, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1913, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sideline

• alkaline
• andesine
• anodyne
• anticline
• arginine
• asinine
• benzidine
• borderline
• byzantine
• calamine
• caroline
• centerline

Kids Definition

sideline

noun

side·​line

-ˌlīn

1

: a line marking the side of a playing field or court

2

: a business or job done in addition to one's regular occupation