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

Rivera received a pep talk from coaches Anna and Valeri Liukin on the sidelines, opting to continue with the competition despite the hard fall. —Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 20 July 2025

Sitting on the sideline is not easy for any player. —Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 July 2025

Verb

Trump has long complained about the W.T.O., and his Liberation Day deals represent an attempt to sideline it. —Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 21 July 2025

Both of Miami’s top pass rushers have battled durability issues throughout their football careers, and were each sidelined by serious injuries in 2023 and 2024. —Miami Herald, 20 July 2025

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

• acridine
• alkaline
• andesine
• anodyne
• anticline
• arginine
• asinine
• atropine
• benzidine
• borderline
• byzantine
• calamine

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