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

Dean Wade, who will come off the bench, is one of the better wing defenders in the league. — Tony Jones, New York Times, 30 July 2026

Entering that game, the midfielder had played just seven minutes off the bench since his promotion from the second team to the first team on May 13. — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026

Angel Reese recorded her 18th double-double of the season with 22 points and 12 rebounds, and Brionna Jones returned to contribute 11 points, seven rebounds and three blocks off the bench. — Christopher Harris, CBS News, 30 July 2026

Sometimes therapists and family members join the party, and Kaye leads the festivities, waving a diploma up on the bench. — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026

Rhymes for the bench

• entrench
• retrench
• workbench
• clench
• drench
• quench
• stench
• tench
• trench
• wench
• wrench