sandwich board

American

noun

two connected posters or signboards that hang in front of and behind a person and usually bear some advertisement, notice, exhortation, or the like.

sandwich board British

noun

one of two connected boards, usually bearing advertisements, that are hung over the shoulders in front of and behind a person

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of sandwich board

First recorded in 1895–1900

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.

See Examples For:

sandwich board

The ultra-catchy pop-rock confection “Divine Intervention” has a verse about seeing someone wearing a sandwich board that predicts the end of the world as billionaires run for cover.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

With their tie-dyed head scarves and sandwich board rigs, they give off a Burning Man-meets-Sierra Club vibe.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 4, 2023

And then I started a cooking school in my place — I put a sandwich board on First and University, and people are coming up and doing the pasta classes.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 21, 2023

"If you heard someone on the street making these rants you'd expect to see them in a sandwich board or a straight jacket."

From Salon ● Jan. 26, 2023

I want to get a hobo outfit and a sandwich board and scrawl What now, Universe?across it.

From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023