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Synonyms

sidearm

American  
[sahyd-ahrm] / ˈsaɪdˌɑrm /

adverb

  1. with a swinging motion of the arm moving to the side of the body at shoulder level or below and nearly parallel to the ground.

    to pitch sidearm.


adjective

  1. thrown or performed sidearm.

    a sidearm curve ball; sidearm stroke.

Etymology

Origin of sidearm

First recorded in 1925–30; side 1 + arm 1

Vocabulary lists containing sidearm

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:

So did the U.S. military: The Beretta M9 served as its standard sidearm for more than two decades until 2017.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 21, 2026

Instead, they replaced closer Kevin Ginkel with sidearm right-hander Ryan Thompson, hoping his funky delivery could keep Ohtani off balance.

From Los Angeles Times May 10, 2025

They had agreed there’d be no semiautomatic rifles, Williams told me, so everyone brought a sidearm.

From Salon Jan. 7, 2025

Scrambling to his left, quarterback Sam Howell saw a slight opening and slid the ball into it with a sidearm throw.

From Washington Times Dec. 3, 2023

I sat on a park bench, watched a man toss a football to his son, telling him to not sidearm the ball, to throw over the shoulder.

From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini

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