sit out
Britishverb
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(tr) to endure to the end
I sat out the play although it was terrible
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(tr) to remain seated throughout (a dance, etc)
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US and Canadian term: hike out. (intr) to lean backwards over the side of a light sailing boat in order to carry the centre of gravity as far to windward as possible to reduce heeling
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Also, sit through . Stay until the end of, as in We decided to sit out the lecture instead of leaving early , or He was only eight when he sat through an entire opera—and it lasted nearly five hours . [Early 1700s]
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Refrain from taking part in, as in Jane's foot hurt so she sat out the last three dances . [Mid-1600s]
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Outlast, outstay, as in He sat out all the other guests, hoping to get a word alone with the host . [Mid-1700s]
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.
He was recovering from a shoulder injury suffered at the tail end of the 2025 season and had to sit out of team and contact drills.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026
“We can’t just sit out in perpetuity, and I won’t,” he said in 2024.
From Slate ● Jul. 1, 2026
Diagnosed with a stress reaction in her left foot, she was forced to medically redshirt and sit out the year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026
“We’ve seen consumer confidence slide as the Iran conflict drags on, and that could have both buyers and sellers choosing to sit out the spring home-buying season,” said Kate Wood, a housing expect at NerdWallet.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 13, 2026
Instead, Boobie was an automatic Proposition 48 case, meaning he could be awarded a scholarship but would have to sit out his freshman year, presumably to improve his academic skills.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
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.
