on the sidelines

Idioms  

1. Observing rather than taking part, out of the action, as in Bolivia's neighbors remained on the sidelines, waiting to see which faction in the dispute would prevail. This idiom comes from sports. The sidelines are the two lines defining the sides of the court or playing field and the area immediately beyond them where, in such sports as football, the non-playing team members sit. [First half of 1900s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

on the sidelines

Their statement was issued following a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

The White House is considering whether to host a meeting with AI executives on the sidelines of its summit with Xi next week — but the Chinese would not be invited, an official said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026

ChatGPT has more than one billion weekly active users, and advertisers say they can’t afford to sit on the sidelines as AI changes how people search for information and make buying decisions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

Denmark and Greenland -- an autonomous territory controlled by Copenhagen -- both hailed the deal and said they would sign it on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York next week.

From Barron's

And the next thing I knew, she was among those girls over on the sidelines changing into sneakers.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey