sidle

verb

si·​dle ˈsī-dᵊl 

sidled; sidling ˈsī-dᵊl-iŋ 

ˈsīd-liŋ

intransitive verb

: to go or move with one side foremost especially in a furtive advance

transitive verb

: to cause to move or turn sideways

sidle noun

Examples of sidle in a Sentence

He sidled up to me and slipped me a note.

She sidled over and whispered, “Do you see that guy?”.

She sidled through the narrow opening.

Recent Examples on the Web

Advertisement Indoor guests can sidle up to the bar or grab an arched wooden booth. —Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2024

Finally, Venus sidles up to Pluto in a sweet sextile flirtation to prepare us for change before Venus leaves Scorpio and moves to Sagittarius. —Jennifer Culp, Them, 11 Oct. 2024

Soon a man sidles up to him, making amorous overtures that Cliff doesn’t resist. —Lisa Kennedy, The Denver Post, 4 Oct. 2024

The bear cautiously wades upstream toward the man, then sidles close to a low metal railing stretching across the river, the only structure separating the two. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 21 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

probably back-formation from sideling entry 2

First Known Use

1577, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Kids Definition

sidle

verb

si·​dle ˈsīd-ᵊl 

sidled; sidling ˈsīd-liŋ 

-ᵊl-iŋ

: to go or move with one side forward

the waiter sidled around the end of the counter