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]
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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.
Once that axiom is treated as constitutional common sense, public safety appears already on the side of the enforcement vehicle.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
"To think he was nearly dead on the side of the road when the accident happened... to being the world champion," he said.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
“You don’t know the generation of the person interviewing you, so the safer bet is to err on the side of being more professional versus less professional,” Slabinski said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
Seconds later, I was through security and riding in a Chevy Suburban with “P/S” stamped on the side.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
It was a pretty white box with pink and silver stripes and writing on the side.
From "The Cinderella Ballet Mystery: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #4" by Carolyn Keene
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.
