sidewall

noun side·wall \ ˈsīd-ˌwȯl \

Updated on: 10 Apr 2018

Definition of sidewall

1 : a wall forming the side of something

2 : the side of an automotive tire between the tread shoulder and the rim bead

Recent Examples of sidewall from the Web

Ken James California Department of Water Resources Kiewit workers connect drain pipes to the outer sidewalls of the upper chute of the main Oroville Dam spillway in December.

— ryan sabalow and dale kasler, sacbee, "One year later: The crisis at Oroville Dam | The Sacramento Bee," 7 Feb. 2018
View 107 Photos View 107 Photos WHAT WENT WRONG: At 6500 miles our Raptor’s right-front tire developed a bulge in the sidewall.

— josh jacquot, Car and Driver, "2017 Ford F-150 Raptor," 24 Jan. 2018
The new Supra will apparently wear 225/50R-17 rubber up front and 255/45R-17 out back, which seems like an an awful lot of sidewall for a modern sports car.

— davey g. johnson, Car and Driver, "Industrious Supranauts Uncover JDM Toyota Supra Specifications!," 12 Feb. 2018
Dr Sivak and Mr Schoettle think the light arrays could also be fitted to various parts of vehicles’ interiors, such as their door pillars, sidewalls and seats.

— The Economist, "The upchuck wagonPreventing passengers in autonomous cars from feeling queasy," 1 Feb. 2018
With the 19s, there's precious little sidewall to soak up the rough stuff or prevent chewing up a wheel or tire due to a nasty pothole.

— jeff yip, Houston Chronicle, "Overachieving Audi: Alluring 2018 A5 Sportback delivers performance, value," 29 Dec. 2017
View 112 Photos While the sticky rubber does wonders for the X6 M’s grip, the thin sidewalls take a toll on the hunchbacked hatchback’s ride quality.

— greg fink, Car and Driver, "2017 BMW X6 M," 6 Oct. 2017
But the kits do not work as a temporary fix if the tire blows out or the damage is to the sidewall.

— frank witsil, USA TODAY, "Why so many automakers are ditching spare tires," 19 Oct. 2017
The main spillway is as wide as a 12-lane highway with sidewalls ranging from 22 feet to 30 feet tall.

— Washington Post, "Oroville Dam repair costs will top $500 million," 19 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sidewall.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.