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.

---

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

---

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

And it was only ugly if you were on the Clemson sideline.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026

At one point, Middagh’s family came down to the sideline and he went over to hug everybody and chat.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

Avramovich sits in the parent section for baseball games; Bernstein stands on the sideline during football games.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

“People used to sideline her mirrored installations,” Chiu said, “but they give people a chance to step into her infinity. Somehow she became a phenomenon.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

He got the block he needed and ran untouched down the left sideline for a touchdown.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger

Modi made a highly public appeal for peace when he met Putin last month on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek.

From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026

The Dodgers’ injury woes grew Wednesday when first baseman Freddie Freeman joined Shohei Ohtani on the sidelines with a right knee issue.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026

In 2024 Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Mr. Xi in Russia on the sidelines of the Brics summit.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

Senior lineman Lucas Rhoa got to watch this all unfold from the sidelines, and he was truly in awe after the game.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026

Then Carmetta uses Coach West as a crutch and hobbles over to the sidelines.

From "A Good Kind of Trouble" by Lisa Moore Ramée

His departure was the latest in a long line of top leaders removed or sidelined by Hegseth.

From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026

With spinners dominating the T20 World Cup earlier this summer, the likes of Filer and Issy Wong were sidelined, but both have stepped up admirably.

From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026

Celebrating the "historic" pact on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump and Venezuelan interim leader Delcy Rodriguez both sidelined the notion of elections in the near future.

From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026

Smith returns after being sidelined for almost three months by a nagging neck injury.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026

If Alexia had been her old self, she would have controlled them, but now that Alexia was sidelined, all the girls got along better.

From "Because of Mr. Terupt" by Rob Buyea

The ban might help domestic drone makers grow at home by sidelining DJI.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 3, 2026

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

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

With Lewandowski, Trump’s former campaign manager, at her side, she has staged a headline grabbing immigration crackdown while sidelining rivals and dissenters.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 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