sideline

1 of 2

noun

side·​line ˈsīd-ˌlīn 

1

: a line at right angles to a goal line or end line and marking a side of a court or field of play for athletic games

2

a

: a line of goods sold in addition to one's principal line

b

: a business or activity pursued in addition to one's regular occupation

3

a

: the space immediately outside the lines along either side of an athletic field or court

b

: a sphere of little or no participation or activity

—usually used in plural

sideline

2 of 2

verb

sidelined; sidelining; sidelines

transitive verb

: to put out of action : put on the sidelines

Examples of sideline in a Sentence

Noun

She makes and sells jewelry as a sideline.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Power couples ball against each other on the court or support each other from the sidelines. —Yohana Desta, Vanity Fair, 7 May 2026

After a life on the sidelines, Mary breaks free from her family to embark on a journey of self-discovery outside of her sisters’ shadows. —Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 6 May 2026

Verb

Ayo Dosunmu was sidelined with calf soreness. —Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 1 May 2026

Her rookie year set new marks for merchandise, but Indiana was able to increase merch sales 60% last year even with Clark sidelined for 70% of games. —Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 1 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1862, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1913, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sideline

• acridine
• alkaline
• andesine
• anodyne
• anticline
• arginine
• asinine
• atropine
• benzidine
• borderline
• byzantine
• calamine

Kids Definition

sideline

noun

side·​line

-ˌlīn

1

: a line marking the side of a playing field or court

2

: a business or job done in addition to one's regular occupation