sideline

American  

[sahyd-lahyn] / ˈsaɪdˌlaɪn /

noun

sidelines plural

1. a line at the side of something.

2. a business or activity pursued in addition to one's primary business; a second occupation.

3. an additional or auxiliary line of goods.

   a grocery store with a sideline of household furnishings.

4. Sports.

   1. either of the two lines defining the side boundaries of a field or court.

   2. sidelines, the area immediately beyond either sideline, where the substitute players sit.

5. sidelines, the position or point of view taken by a person who observes an activity or situation but does not directly participate in it.

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verb (used with object)

sidelines, present (3rd person singular) sidelined, past participle, past sidelining present participle

1. to render incapable of participation, especially in anything involving vigorous, physical action, as a sport.

   An injury to his throwing arm sidelined the quarterback for two weeks.

sideline British  

/ ˈsaɪdˌlaɪn /

noun

1. sport a line that marks the side boundary of a playing area

2. a subsidiary interest or source of income

3. an auxiliary business activity or line of merchandise

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verb

1. to prevent (a player) from taking part in a game

2. to prevent (a person) from pursuing a particular activity, operation, career, etc

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• sidelines
  plural

Participles

• sidelining
  present
• sidelined
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• sideline
  simple
• sidelines
  simple
• have sidelined
  perfect
• has sidelined
  perfect
• am sidelining
  progressive
• are sidelining
  progressive
• is sidelining
  progressive
• have been sidelining
  perfect progressive
• has been sidelining
  perfect progressive

Past

• sidelined
  simple
• had sidelined
  perfect
• was sidelining
  progressive
• were sidelining
  progressive
• had been sidelining
  perfect progressive

Future

• will sideline
  simple
• will have sidelined
  perfect
• will be sidelining
  progressive
• will have been sidelining
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of sideline

An Americanism dating back to 1685–95; side ¹ + line ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sideline sidelines sidelined sidelining

Before departing Washington on Monday, Rubio said he was open to the possibility of a sideline meeting with China's top diplomat Wang Yi, who will also be in Manila.

From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026

Frustration flared up throughout the match, with both teams briefly crowding the sideline after a hard foul.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026

She had done something on the pitch and Jonathan called her a psycho from the sideline.

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026

There were new uniforms and helmets, NFL-style sideline monitors, drones for filming practice and a coach with a $230,000 compensation package.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026

I was standing on the sideline with Betty Bright and the other four kids who weren’t playing.

From "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor

While the footballer, just 19 himself, continued his rise by helping Spain achieve football's biggest prize, attention swiftly turned to his younger brother's joyful reactions from the sidelines.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

Here are Neill’s highlights, all worth rewatching for the sake of better appreciating a sophisticated presence often on the sidelines.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026

Now that a majority of Americans own stocks, policymakers may find it hard to sit on the sidelines and not step in if the equity market is teetering, Balchunas said.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 11, 2026

Elevated mortgage rates have been keeping buyers on the sidelines for years, but rates have inched down from a year earlier, and are well below a peak of nearly 8% in 2023.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

On the sidelines, Agent Jones looked angry and tense as he barked terse orders.

From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray

If he’s sidelined for too long, he could have to gradually build up with each start.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026

Boston has outscored its opponents 82-29 over this stretch, even with ace pitcher Garrett Crochet and star outfielder Roman Anthony both out with injuries that have sidelined them for months.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

Benn, who has lost just once in 26 fights, was also sidelined for a year amid a doping scandal.

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026

With federal agencies sidelined, the state attorneys general lack the jurisdictional muscle to block the deal, he added.

From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026

There wasn’t a class that day that wasn’t sidelined by the morning’s announcement.

From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro

And most significantly, having to report Monday that star closer Edwin Díaz will have surgery to remove “loose bodies” in his right elbow, likely sidelining him for three months.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 20, 2026

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz is still the most sizable disruption, “effectively sidelining circa 20% of LNG trade,” he says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 31, 2026

And while previous TV adaptations root into the emotional interiority of their male characters while sidelining female desire, “The Forsytes” places more narrative purpose in the hands of its women.

From Salon ● Mar. 28, 2026

But the company’s chief executive, Brian McNamara, is sidelining aspirations to be a major player in the field right now due to the arrival of blockbuster drugs like Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Zepbound.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 13, 2026

From trade deals to cars, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz are increasingly joining forces to steer the EU agenda -- risking sidelining French President Emmanuel Macron.

From Barron's ● Feb. 11, 2026