on the bench
Idioms-
Presiding as judge in a law court, as in Lawyers are very careful when Judge Brown is on the bench . This usage alludes to the seat occupied by a judge. [Late 1200s]
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Waiting for a chance to participate; also, removed from participation. For example, Mary complained that all her colleagues were going to the sales conference while she was left on the bench . This usage comes from baseball and other sports, where players not deemed ready or competent to play sit on a bench watching the game. [Early 1900s]
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.
James flexed in front of his teammates on the bench, who stood to give their approval.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026
Mara, meanwhile, left behind his family in Spain for UCLA, only to sit on the bench.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026
Strange, because he wasn’t buried on the bench.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026
Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard, three of the players to withdraw from international duty, were not in the squad while William Saliba was named on the bench.
From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026
Carefully, like he might run if I moved too quickly, I placed one of the plates on the bench next to him.
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
Definitions 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.
