on the side
Idioms-
In addition to the main portion of something; also, in addition to one's regular job. For example, He ordered some French fries on the side , or She often prepared tax returns on the side . [Second half of 1800s]
-
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.
In office, he regularly intervened in non-Fed debates, usually on the side of whoever was president, whether supporting Bill Clinton’s bailout of Mexico or George W. Bush’s tax cuts.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 22, 2026
“I very much lean on the side of freedom of people to choose what they consume and less regulation.”
From Salon • Jun. 22, 2026
On Wednesday, dozens of people stood on the side of an eight-lane highway leading east out of the capital trying their luck by waving fistfuls of bills at passing vehicles.
From Barron's • Jun. 18, 2026
The California Highway Patrol is investigating the deaths of a couple whose bodies were found in a running vehicle on the side of the 5 Freeway near Redding earlier this week.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2026
She wagged her tail so hard that it whacked the admiral repeatedly on the side of his leg.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
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.
