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
Sealy and forward Malique Ewin got 15 and 14 off the bench, respectively.
—
Matt Byrne, Arkansas Online, 9 Feb. 2026
Rui Hachimura had 18 points on seven-for-10 shooting and Austin Reaves had 16 points, eight assists and five rebounds in 24 minutes off the bench.
—Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2026
With his first goal just six minutes after coming off the bench, the confidence that came seemed to settle him.
—Art De Roché, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2026
James scored 20 points and dished out 10 assists for the Lakers, while Rui Hachimura scored 18 points and Austin Reaves had eight assists off the bench.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the bench
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Matt Byrne, Arkansas Online, 9 Feb. 2026
Rui Hachimura had 18 points on seven-for-10 shooting and Austin Reaves had 16 points, eight assists and five rebounds in 24 minutes off the bench.
—Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2026
With his first goal just six minutes after coming off the bench, the confidence that came seemed to settle him.
—Art De Roché, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2026
James scored 20 points and dished out 10 assists for the Lakers, while Rui Hachimura scored 18 points and Austin Reaves had eight assists off the bench.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 8 Feb. 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 12 Feb. 2026.
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