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• bench press
  bench press

  noun

  a weightlifting exercise in which one lies supine on a bench and with both hands pushes a barbell or fixed weight upward from chest level to arm's length and then lowers it back to chest level: usually repeated in sets.
• bench-press
  bench-press

  verb (used with or without object)

  to perform a bench press with (a weight).

bench press

¹ American  

noun

• bench presses
  plural

1. a weightlifting exercise in which one lies supine on a bench and with both hands pushes a barbell or fixed weight upward from chest level to arm's length and then lowers it back to chest level: usually repeated in sets.

2. one complete repetition of this exercise.

3. this exercise as an event in weightlifting competition.

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bench-press ² American  

[bench-pres] / ˈbɛntʃˌprɛs /

verb (used with or without object)

1. to perform a bench press with (a weight).

   He is small but can bench-press more than 400 pounds.

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bench press British  

noun

1. a weight-training exercise in which a person lies on a bench and pushes a barbell upwards with both hands from chest level until the arms are straight, then lowers it again

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verb

1. (intr) to carry out one or more bench presses

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• bench presses
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of bench press

First recorded in 1975–80

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bench press bench-press

Those who added creatine experienced greater gains in leg press strength, bench press strength, and time to exhaustion.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 30, 2026

And in the weight room, Smith takes a break from squats and bench press to pump iron—with his fingers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

At night, she returned to the bench press for a final round.

From Salon ● Jun. 18, 2025

The drills - including bench press, vertical jump and timed 40-yard sprint - are designed to test an individual's athleticism, strength and ball skills.

From BBC ● Mar. 20, 2024

Farooq is staring back at me from beside the bench press.

From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali

Plus: Luke Winkie casts a critical eye to RFK Jr.’s shirtless bench-press and pushup videos.

From Slate ● Jun. 27, 2023

Payne, a 310-pound behemoth of a man, could bench-press 460 pounds in high school, and at least one analyst projected he’d be a Pro Bowler before he was even drafted in 2018.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 3, 2022

Watt continues to bench-press offensive linemen whenever he pleases.

From New York Times ● Dec. 5, 2021

DeLay knew, and not because of his size, or his 40-yard dash time, or his bench-press reps or his fast-twitch muscles.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 28, 2021

“That’s like asking why you don’t bench-press your maximum weight every time you lift. Because it’s hard, and you’d hurt yourself. Turning into a dragon isn’t easy.”

From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan

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