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.
Saliba was forced to sit out France's World Cup bronze final defeat by England.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
“We can’t just sit out in perpetuity, and I won’t,” he said in 2024.
From Slate ● Jul. 1, 2026
Iceland, Spain and the Netherlands also chose to sit out the show.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 16, 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
“If you don’t play, someone will have to sit out? If I don’t play, I’ll live another day, I thought “Hoodhood?” said Doug Swieteck’s brother “you coming or not?”
From "The Wednesday Wars" by Gary D. Schmidt
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.
