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
Last season, Gordon missed 31 games and came off the bench in nine others because of a right calf strain.
—
Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 30 Mar. 2026
Ochai Agbaji came off the bench to score 18 points for the Nets (17-58), who had lost 10 in a row and 20 of their last 22.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 30 Mar. 2026
Johnson returned to the bench with his torso wrapped.
—CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
Shelton previously served as the bench coach for the Twins from 2018-19 before leaving to manage the Pittsburgh Pirates for parts of six seasons.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the bench
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Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 30 Mar. 2026
Ochai Agbaji came off the bench to score 18 points for the Nets (17-58), who had lost 10 in a row and 20 of their last 22.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 30 Mar. 2026
Johnson returned to the bench with his torso wrapped.
—CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
Shelton previously served as the bench coach for the Twins from 2018-19 before leaving to manage the Pittsburgh Pirates for parts of six seasons.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 29 Mar. 2026
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 31 Mar. 2026.
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