bleacher

American  

[blee-cher] / ˈbli tʃər /

noun

• bleachers
  plural

1. Usually bleachers. a typically roofless section of inexpensive and unreserved seats in tiers, especially at an open-air athletic stadium.

2. a person or thing that bleaches.

3. a container, as a vat or tank, used in bleaching.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• bleachers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of bleacher

1540–50; 1885–90 bleacher for def. 1; bleach + -er ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bleacher bleachers

I used to like bleacher seats but won’t sit there again — way too loud right under the sound system.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 28, 2025

As a freshman in a fraternity, I had to wake up at 6 a.m. on Saturday mornings to save bleacher seats for the older boys.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 13, 2023

Someone from the bleacher seats shouted, “Don’t go!”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2023

Concrete stairs are cracked with bolts so loose bleacher seats rock back and forth.

From Washington Times ● Jun. 26, 2023

Until he gets down on one knee in that narrow space between the bleacher seats.

From "American Street" by Ibi Zoboi

You sit in the bleachers or walk the sidelines.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026

In his first at-bat of the game, he lifted a solo home run into the left-field bleachers and trotted around the bases to a chorus of boos.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

There are also the legions of sponsors and guests, who follow the race from bleachers at the summit and nibble on petits fours while the competition rages in the background.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

McGinn and his goggles have gone worldwide in recent days, with his name ringing out on the streets of Boston and on the Fenway Park bleachers.

From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026

I focus on the bleachers and my eyes find Mom and Nate at the end, sitting on either side of Zara’s mom’s wheelchair.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam