sideways

adverb or adjective

side·​ways ˈsīd-ˌwāz 

1

: from one side

2

: with one side forward

turn sideways

3

a

: in a lateral direction or downward to one side

hopped sideways

slump sideways

b

: askance

look sideways at someone

Synonyms

• broadside
• crabwise
• edgeways [chiefly British]
• edgewise
• sidewise

Examples of sideways in a Sentence

I had to walk sideways to get between the two towering piles of boxes

she glanced at us sideways when she heard us claim we weren't there that night

Recent Examples on the Web

But as her doctors progressively raised her dose, things started to go sideways. —Jamie Ducharme, TIME, 4 Nov. 2024

The Nasdaq-100 Index has not made a new high since July, Nvidia traded sideways for much of the summer and Microsoft is down 5% over the past three months. —Jesse Pound, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2024

There are other ways to spot deepfakes, though, like asking a person on a livestream to turn sideways or listening for an off-sounding lilt in someone's voice. —Kate Irwin, PCMAG, 17 Oct. 2024

Press originally huddled in a tunnel onto the field have had to slowly retreat from the entrance, as the rain pelts sideways. —NBC News, 6 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1572, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

Phrases Containing sideways

• knock (someone) sideways

Kids Definition

sideways

adverb or adjective

side·​ways ˈsīd-ˌwāz 

1

: from one side

viewed the stage sideways

2

: with one side forward

turn sideways

3

: to one side

fell sideways