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 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

Coleman’s 39-yard dash set up a 20-yard touchdown for freshman quarterback Isaiah Foster, who ran right and found room down the sideline. — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Nov. 2026

In addition to his golf and Olympics duties, Hicks called play-by-play for Notre Dame football and served as a sideline reporter for NBC’s NBA coverage. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 12 Nov. 2026

Verb

Garrett, 30, was sidelined for much of training camp because of an unspecified knee issue. — Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026

The Cavaliers out-rebounded the 76ers by 14 despite center Jarrett Allen being sidelined because of a bruised right knee. — ABC News, 6 Nov. 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