sidewalk
Americannoun
-
sidewalks
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of sidewalk
Explanation
A sidewalk is a paved path for walking, often alongside a road. If your neighborhood has sidewalks, it's easier and safer to take a little jog. While English speakers in other parts of the world might use words like footpath or pavement instead, North Americans typically use sidewalk. Most sidewalks are slightly higher than the street and are often separated from them by a curb or a strip of grass. There is some historical evidence that Ancient Greece had sidewalks, though the word itself dates from about 1740.
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:
The law firm declared in its filing against the city that he tripped on a sidewalk.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
It roams from the sidewalk to the soul.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
The inferno that resulted from Sunday’s crash was so large that it burned shrubs planted on the other side of the sidewalk, several feet away from where the car hit the tree.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
Just two years after the 62-year-old actor snapped up the modern 4,000-square-foot home, shocking images have revealed extensive damage outside the residence, with the collapse cracking open the sidewalk and leaving behind a gaping hole.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026
We roll clackety-clack, clackety-clack over the sidewalk, but when we pass four streets and Mumford doesn’t appear, we turn around.
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
“Angelenos see the results in crumbling streets, buckled sidewalks and streetlights that stay dark,” proponents said in their ballot argument.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
They are typically nonprofit organizations that maintain amenities such as swimming pools, tennis courts, gyms, playgrounds, private roads, shared parking lots, sidewalks, trash removal and more.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
Nearly a quarter of U.S. children live in a neighborhood without a park or playground, and a similar share lack sidewalks or walking paths, according to recent federal data from the CDC.
From Slate ● Sep. 5, 2026
It’s a mix of woodland trails and roads following a chain of yellow arrows on stone walls or sidewalks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
The sidewalks were still busy, and she was certain someone would notice a gray and monstrous girl hacking up feathers and stumbling along.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
