sidewalk

American  

[sahyd-wawk] / ˈsaɪdˌwɔk /

noun

1. a walk, especially a paved one, at the side of a street or road.

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sidewalk British  

/ ˈsaɪdˌwɔːk /

noun

1. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): pavement.  a hard-surfaced path for pedestrians alongside and a little higher than a road

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Etymology

Origin of sidewalk

First recorded in 1660–70; side ¹ + walk

Example Sentences

One night while she was walking her dog, she stopped short on the sidewalk: She could move to New York, she thought.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

The footage, which shows a blue BMW tailgating a cyclist in the bike lane, forcing the cyclist to hop the curb onto the sidewalk, has since gone viral on Fetzer’s Instagram page.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 29, 2026

On the sidewalk in front of the store: Well, that was another story.

From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026

Later social media posts said the lines were forming outside on the sidewalk next to the terminal.

From Barron's • Mar. 22, 2026

“What a jerk,” Jonah muttered, as soon as they were out on the sidewalk.

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Related Words

• boardwalk
• pavement
• walkway