on the street

Idioms  

1. Also, in the street.

2. Without a job, unemployed, as in After they fired her she was on the street for two years . [First half of 1900s]

3. Without a regular place of residence, homeless, as in It's terrible to be on the street in winter . [Mid-1800s]

4. Released from prison, as in One more year and he'll be back in the street . [First half of 1900s]

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Example Sentences

Out on the street, the shops circle around us, further conveying the cramped nature of the neighborhood.

From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026

He whistles in the car, on the street, and up and down stairwells, where he appreciates the “great acoustics.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026

It is a criminal offence in the UK to harass somebody on the street because of their sex.

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026

For Valerie, the price is bouncing between cheap community houses and sleeping on the street, where the bleak conditions further mold Valerie’s nonconformist personality.

From Salon • Apr. 29, 2026

Or maybe I should stop a stranger on the street, so the fact that I’m asking how to send a letter won’t get back to Mom.

From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy