1
as in sidewise
with one side faced forward
I had to walk sideways to get between the two towering piles of boxes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in suspiciously
with distrust
she glanced at us sideways when she heard us claim we weren't there that night
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of sideways
Things rarely went sideways for the Hurricanes on Saturday, as should have been expected in that matchup.
—
Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 7 Sep. 2025
One drive later, on third down, Mahomes somehow managed to flick a pass as his body fell sideways, against the grain of his momentum.
—Kansas City Star, 6 Sep. 2025
However, beneath the surface lies a hidden world of swirling currents, where grains sneak sideways or loop in circles instead of following the obvious flow.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2025
Things went sideways in the second game, however.
—Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sideways
Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 7 Sep. 2025
One drive later, on third down, Mahomes somehow managed to flick a pass as his body fell sideways, against the grain of his momentum.
—Kansas City Star, 6 Sep. 2025
However, beneath the surface lies a hidden world of swirling currents, where grains sneak sideways or loop in circles instead of following the obvious flow.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2025
Things went sideways in the second game, however.
—Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sideways
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sideways
Adverb
-
When news breaks of developments in the war, the coordination between the media is clear and suspiciously similar.—
Uriel Kon
September 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Those wedding bells sound suspiciously like a Taylor Swift song.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
26 Aug. 2025
Adverb
-
On the product front, the brand has deepened its footprint in skin care and broadened laterally into makeup hybrids.—
WWD Staff,
Footwear News,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Ayers recommends transparency about internal mobility, including career progression upward, plus how to leverage transferable skills and move laterally to broaden experience and growth opportunities.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sideways.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sideways. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share