Etymology
Origin of edgewise
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It was never easy to get a word in edgewise, and there was nothing “safe” about that space—say anything half-stupid and everyone would pile on for the next 25 years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 19, 2025
Kamala Harris could hardly get a word in edgewise during her interview with Fox News' Bret Baier, but when she did she made it count.
From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2024
They would have long and winding arguments, he said, where he felt he couldn’t explain himself or get a word in edgewise; he said it sent him into “a tailspin of confusion and depression.”
From Washington Post ● Apr. 20, 2022
The greater challenge will be if you win, trying to get a word in edgewise during your meal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 2020
The Los Angeles people were not very cordial and looked down on her for some inexplicable reason; she could not get a word in with them edgewise.
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
