sit on
Britishverb
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to be a member of (a committee, etc)
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informal to suppress
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informal to check or rebuke
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Also, sit upon.
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Confer about or deliberate over, as in Another attorney was called to sit on the case . [Mid-1400s]
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Suppress or repress, as in I know they were sitting on some evidence . [Early 1900s]
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Postpone action or resolution regarding, as in I don't know why the city council is sitting on their decision . [Early 1900s]
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Rebuke sharply, reprimand, as in If he interrupts one more time I'm going to sit on him . [ Slang ; second half of 1800s]
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.
You could also let the check sit on the table before reaching for it, Clayman suggests.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026
ChatGPT has more than one billion weekly active users, and advertisers say they can’t afford to sit on the sidelines as AI changes how people search for information and make buying decisions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
It's a difficult structure to walk up, and in 44C heat, impossible to sit on.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
These receptors sit on the surface of cells and help them respond to signals from their surroundings.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 9, 2026
It wouldn’t sit on the runners, it wouldn’t slide into place – I couldn’t get it back at all.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
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.
