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
Newcastle lost 1-0 to a K-League All-Star team in Suwon on Wednesday, their third-successive friendly defeat of pre-season, and Willock went down after a challenge in the final minute, seemingly in agony clutching the back of his leg around the ankle area and gesturing towards the bench.
—
Chris Waugh, New York Times, 30 July 2025
Arriving from the bench in a run-out against Yokohama F. Marinos in Japan, the 16-year-old powered forward and netted Liverpool’s third goal in an eventually comfortable 3-1 win.
—Henry Flynn, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025
Some guys go down to injuries, and that kind of mixes things up on the bench.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 29 July 2025
According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Yankees are interested in David Hamilton, who has served as Boston's backup second baseman for most of this season, as a potential speedster off the bench.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for the bench
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Chris Waugh, New York Times, 30 July 2025
Arriving from the bench in a run-out against Yokohama F. Marinos in Japan, the 16-year-old powered forward and netted Liverpool’s third goal in an eventually comfortable 3-1 win.
—Henry Flynn, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025
Some guys go down to injuries, and that kind of mixes things up on the bench.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 29 July 2025
According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Yankees are interested in David Hamilton, who has served as Boston's backup second baseman for most of this season, as a potential speedster off the bench.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 July 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 6 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share