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on the sidelines
Idioms and Phrases
Observing rather than taking part, out of the action, as in Bolivia's neighbors remained on the sidelines, waiting to see which faction in the dispute would prevail . This idiom comes from sports. The sidelines are the two lines defining the sides of the court or playing field and the area immediately beyond them where, in such sports as football, the non-playing team members sit. [First half of 1900s]Example Sentences
While Ellevest is now focused on high-net-worth clients, Female Invest is interested in potential investors who’ve been sitting on the sidelines while companies like Robinhood and Revolut mainly appeal to male investors or active traders, according to Hartvigsen.
"For years, hard working American citizens were forced to sit on the sidelines as other nations got rich and powerful, much of it at our expense," he said.
Back in the game, there are dozens more of these identical villagers standing on the sidelines.
“Watching what’s unfolding before our eyes made it clear this is not a time to sit on the sidelines,” Becerra said in an interview.
Defender Riccardo Calafiori faces a spell on the sidelines with a knee injury sustained on international duty for Italy against Germany on 20 March.
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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.
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