Synonyms

sidearm

American

[sahyd-ahrm] / ˈsaɪdˌɑrm /

adverb

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

thrown or performed sidearm.

a sidearm curve ball; sidearm stroke.

Etymology

Origin of sidearm

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

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.

It’s Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox treating Robert E. Lee with perfectly calibrated respect, letting Lee’s officers keep their sidearms and his men their personal horses.

From The Wall Street Journal

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

From Salon

“He sees the opening but can’t get the punch there in time. A great tennis champion can’t get to the net anymore. A great quarterback has to throw sidearm.”

From Los Angeles Times

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

From Washington Times

Other campaigns Raoul has tracked see manufacturers linking themselves to the military or law enforcement, claiming they are the Pentagon’s top choice for a sidearm or long gun - regardless of whether they are or not.

From Washington Times

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