sideways
adverb or adjective
side·ways
ˈsīd-ˌwāz
1
: from one side
2
: with one side forward
turn sideways
3
a
: in a lateral direction or downward to one side
hopped sideways
slump sideways
b
: askance
look sideways at someone
4
a
: off the correct, desired, or expected course : awry
… he got off to a good start but his season went sideways when he suffered a concussion last January.—Steve Conroy
In Matthew Lyons' propulsive new horror thriller, a bank robbery gone sideways forces one of the robbers to take the remnants of her gang, plus a hostage or two, to her old family cabin to recoup and recover.—Molly Odintz
b
: with a lack of directness
a sideways reference
approached the topic sideways
5
economics
: at a consistent rate of performance with little or no fluctuation
The economy is pretty flat. It has been going essentially sideways for two years and I think it is going to go sideways at least through the first half of next year as well.—Martin Wyss, quoted in The Associated Press
If this index stayed sideways in January, inflation would have slowed in line with expectation.—The Credit Union National Association
Cite this Entry
“Sideways.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sideways. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.
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