How to Use sideways in a Sentence

sideways

adverb or adjective
  • The olive trees in their yard bent sideways in the wind.
    — Eli Saslow, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2025
  • To open the ladder and to set it sideways against the wall.
    — Keith Ridgway, The New Yorker, 17 May 2021
  • The front tires lost their hold and the GT500 slid sideways across the asphalt.
    — Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN, 29 Oct. 2019
  • That was the only time the trip could’ve gone sideways.
    — Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 28 Feb. 2024
  • The flames licked sideways and leapt above the treetops.
    — Matthew Abbott, Environment, 18 Dec. 2020
  • Odysseus landed sideways on the south pole of the moon.
    — Devika Rao, theweek, 6 Mar. 2024
  • Hold the plant by its leaves or stems and turn it sideways.
    — Mariah Thomas, Good Housekeeping, 13 July 2022
  • Then hold the rod tip low and make a sharp, sideways back cast.
    — Mark Hicks, Field & Stream, 29 June 2020
  • The at-bats have gone sideways, not only for me but for the team.
    — Mike Digiovannastaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2022
  • Don’t tilt the blade sideways, which might cause a corner to dig in and scratch.
    — Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2023
  • This is not just a sign that my week has gone sideways.
    — Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2024
  • The league got worse the moment Dak's foot went sideways.
    — Mark Craig, Star Tribune, 13 Oct. 2020
  • Lay sideways on the ground, then place the foam roller under your hip.
    — Health Editorial Team, Health, 4 Dec. 2023
  • There’s plenty of time for things to go sideways down the road.
    — James Yasko, Chron, 16 June 2022
  • When things go sideways, the kind of people who get the job done and keep our word.
    — Gina Martinez, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2023
  • Kim claims to not be tech-savvy, and her first episode was sideways.
    — Jenny Townsend, Wired, 1 Mar. 2022
  • The next wave was a foamy mess, and Chumbo hit it sideways.
    — William Finnegan, The New Yorker, 23 May 2022
  • The tree grew up and down and sideways – there were almost 7,500 names.
    — Natalie Morales, CBS News, 9 Nov. 2024
  • The shot is sideways, so that the couple appear to be vertical, with the sky to the left and the ground to the right.
    — Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 3 Dec. 2022
  • To use a land card to pay mana, tap the land card by turning it sideways.
    — Bailey Gates, Chicago Tribune, 19 July 2023
  • Lay a shirt sideways with the collar on your right side.
    — Selena Barrientos, House Beautiful, 12 Oct. 2020
  • The next two times Grove faced the Phillies’ top bats, though, things went sideways quickly.
    — Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2023
  • Things can go sideways fast if the chemistry isn’t there.
    — Dallas News, 27 Dec. 2022
  • At around 375 miles from the center of Earth, things go sideways.
    — Jennifer Leman, Popular Mechanics, 10 Mar. 2021
  • The swatch wasn’t wide enough for a house to face the street, as had the previous house, so the Drews built it sideways.
    — Roy S. Johnson | [email protected], al, 9 Feb. 2022
  • To maintain this tree-like look, prune any stems that grow out of the trunk sideways.
    — Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Jan. 2025
  • Went to hit the break and at impact my right foot hit the floorboard sideways.
    — Sam Blum, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
  • The trout finned to hold itself steady in the main flow of current, then slid sideways and out of sight.
    — T. Edward Nickens, Field & Stream, 27 Nov. 2020
  • In his experience, when people get overly formal, things are about to go sideways.
    — Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 29 Mar. 2025
  • Consider, too, whether you’re adequately insured for things that can go sideways in life.
    — Jeanne Sahadi, CNN, 23 Mar. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sideways.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: