benchwarmer

American  

[bench-wawr-mer] / ˈbɛntʃˌwɔr mər /

Or bench warmer,

noun

Sports.

1. a substitute who rarely gets to play in a game.

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Etymology

Origin of benchwarmer

First recorded in 1890–95; bench + warmer ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

benchwarmer

And even then, following a first few months as a benchwarmer, he was able to fight his way back into the starting line-up.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

Setup: The toys adapt to a new home, Bonnie’s bedroom, where Woody gets relegated to the unfamiliar role of benchwarmer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026

Card, whose Texas career pinballed from starter to benchwarmer only to see Sarkisian court another hotshot like Ewers, opted to stay even though he is more than a year away from graduation.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 23, 2022

A high school benchwarmer who was not recruited out of prep school, Preston envisioned a future in basketball before anyone else saw such a career for him.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2022

And yet here he is, a third- string benchwarmer kind of guy, holding the ball for the great Erik Fisher.

From "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor