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.
It meant 17-year-old Marcus Rashford, not Keane, was on the bench for the Europa League tie against Midtjylland three days later when Anthony Martial was injured in the warm-up and had to pull out.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
His teammates on the bench stood and cheered, as did the fans.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
But that versatility might also be what keeps him on the bench.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
For Canada, injured Alphonso Davies was helpless on the bench as Morocco neutralised Stephen Eustaquio's dangerous passing and squeezed star striker Jonathan David out of the game.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
Velia put her hands on the bench seat beside Juanita and pulled herself forward in her seat.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
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.
