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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

Etymology

Origin of bench press

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bench press bench-press

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

From Salon ● Jun. 18, 2025

Powerlifting consists of three different lifts - a squat, deadlift and a bench press.

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2024

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

But he had 18 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press to rank second, accomplishing a goal he had set of “wanting to show my strength in the bench press.’

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 3, 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

Briar Woods entered last season with five players who could bench-press 200 pounds, but by the middle of this summer, half the team could.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 29, 2022

From rusty bench-press reps in a basement weight room, to gopher-hole duty at O’Gorman High, to marathon road trips and 80-hour weeks in trailers parked by the practice field …

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 25, 2022

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

From New York Times ● Dec. 5, 2021

JonPaul is nearly six feet tall, with shoulders as broad as a four-lane highway, and he can bench-press me.

From "Liar, Liar" by Gary Paulsen