side-on

American

[sahyd-on, -awn] / ˈsaɪdˈɒn, -ˈɔn /

adjective

(of two objects) meeting with the sides foremost.

adverb

with the side or sides foremost, especially in a collision.

The other car struck me side-on.

Etymology

Origin of side-on

First recorded in 1905–10

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:

side-on

Norris touched the Red Bull, damaging the McLaren's front wing endplate, and that bounced him side-on into Piastri, whose momentum was checked, allowing Norris to move ahead into third place.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2025

Observers watched as aircraft approached the runway almost side-on.

From BBC ● Dec. 21, 2023

Plotting the distances in 3D produces a trace of the Galaxy’s spiral arms, and shows how the disk warps at its farthest reaches, forming an S-shape when seen side-on.

From Nature ● Aug. 6, 2019

The batsmen come back for a second run and it seems straightforward, but Jadeja runs in from deep square leg and hits the stumps from side-on and a distance of 40 yards!

From The Guardian ● Jul. 10, 2019

I caught sight of the old man side-on and I saw he was hurt by something more than a punch.

From The Readjustment by Irwin, Will

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