the bench

noun

1
law : the place where a judge sits in a court of law
The lawyer asked if he could approach the bench.
2
: a long seat where the members of a sports team wait during a game for a chance to play
He spent most of his season on the bench.
He plays better coming off the bench.

Examples of the bench in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
With four of the new signings starting and another coming off the bench — deadline day arrivals Joe Worrall and O’Hare didn’t feature — Wrexham certainly passed their first post-transfer window test with flying colours. — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 The table then stows away, and the bench cushions rearrange to create a side-facing love seat positioned perfectly for viewing the drop-down projection screen just above the entryway. — New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2026 The order Graf read from the bench outlined the evidence presented during the hearing, ruling that the prosecution had met the threshold of probable cause and can still pursue the death penalty. — Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 2 Sep. 2026 The 12 deliberating jurors and the six alternates then came to the bench one-by-one to speak to the judge and the attorneys in the case. — Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for the bench

Rhymes for the bench

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Browse Nearby Words

the Beltway
the bench
the benefit of the doubt
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Cite this Entry

“The bench.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20bench. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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