sideways
adverb or adjective
side·ways
ˈsīd-ˌwāz 
1
: from one side
2
: with one side forward
turn sideways
3
a
: in a lateral direction or downward to one side
hopped sideways
slump sideways
b
: askance
look sideways at someone
Examples of sideways in a Sentence
I had to walk sideways to get between the two towering piles of boxes
she glanced at us sideways when she heard us claim we weren't there that night
Recent Examples on the Web
Generators help when the sky goes sideways Portable backup generators are the talk of modern storm tech prep.
—
Jennifer Jolly, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
Thrown into the mix are shady Middle Eastern arms dealers, equally shady CIA operatives and various plots that lead to a bombing at a US military base and a raid on an ISIS stronghold that goes sideways.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
However, beneath the surface lies a hidden world of swirling currents, where grains sneak sideways or loop in circles instead of following the obvious flow.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2025
Things went sideways in the second game, however.
—Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sideways
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Jennifer Jolly, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
Thrown into the mix are shady Middle Eastern arms dealers, equally shady CIA operatives and various plots that lead to a bombing at a US military base and a raid on an ISIS stronghold that goes sideways.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
However, beneath the surface lies a hidden world of swirling currents, where grains sneak sideways or loop in circles instead of following the obvious flow.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2025
Things went sideways in the second game, however.
—Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sideways
Cite this Entry
“Sideways.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sideways. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sideways
adverb or adjective
side·ways
ˈsīd-ˌwāz
1
: from one side
viewed the stage sideways
2
: with one side forward
turn sideways
3
: to one side
fell sideways
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