the bench
noun
1
law
: the place where a judge sits in a court of law
The lawyer asked if he could approach the bench.
2
: a long seat where the members of a sports team wait during a game for a chance to play
He spent most of his season on the bench.
He plays better coming off the bench.
Examples of the bench in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
As the arena goal horn blared and the fans went berserk, Ovechkin swung his arms into the air and collided with the boards as his teammates cleared the bench to celebrate with him.
—
Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
Ovechkin looked high with his arms raised while drifting toward the boards before turning around to be mobbed by Capitals teammates who had left the bench to celebrate with him.
—Sean Gentille, New York Times, 6 Nov. 2025
That merely meant coach Brian Dutcher didn’t have to delicately parcel out playing time while massaging egos on his Mariana Trench-deep roster, and the bench shortened by circumstance delivered a 77-45 win powered by a pair of true freshmen and a typically frenetic defensive effort.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Nov. 2025
Hippler did not rule on the matter from the bench Wednesday.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the bench
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Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
Ovechkin looked high with his arms raised while drifting toward the boards before turning around to be mobbed by Capitals teammates who had left the bench to celebrate with him.
—Sean Gentille, New York Times, 6 Nov. 2025
That merely meant coach Brian Dutcher didn’t have to delicately parcel out playing time while massaging egos on his Mariana Trench-deep roster, and the bench shortened by circumstance delivered a 77-45 win powered by a pair of true freshmen and a typically frenetic defensive effort.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Nov. 2025
Hippler did not rule on the matter from the bench Wednesday.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the bench
Cite this Entry
“The bench.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20bench. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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