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

Purdy is dialed in One of Purdy’s first throws of 11-on-11 drills on Thursday was a deep touchdown to reserve receiver Malik Turner down the left sideline hitting him in stride beyond the chasing defensive back. — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Maye’s first pass, a go ball down the right sideline intended for Doubs was batted away by reserve corner Kindle Vildor. — Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 10 Aug. 2026

Verb

Their task is complicated by the loss of Morgan Rogers, who joined Chelsea over the summer, while Youri Tielemans joined Manchester United and Amadou Onana is sidelined with a long-term knee injury. — Dean Jones, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026

Tony Romo will remain sidelined until further notice, as CBS Sports higher-ups continue to assess the NFL analyst’s status at the Tiffany network. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 11 Aug. 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