1
: to or toward the side
stepped aside
2
: away from others or into privacy
pulled him aside
3
: out of the way especially for future use : away
putting aside savings
4
: away from one's thought or consideration
All kidding aside, we really need to get busy.
1
: an utterance not meant to be heard by someone
especially
: an actor's speech heard by the audience but supposedly not by other characters
2
: a comment or discussion that does not relate directly to the main subject being discussed : digression
He frequently interrupted his narrative with amusing asides.
Examples of aside in a Sentence
Adverb
He stepped aside and let her pass.
He threw his coat aside.
She laid the book aside.
He elbowed people aside as he moved through the crowd.
He took her aside to speak to her privately.
Someone grabbed him and pulled him aside.
Noun
She made a joke about the food in a muttered aside to her husband.
The book includes several lengthy asides about the personal lives of scientists involved in the project.
In his speech he mentioned her contributions almost as an aside, despite the fact that she was the one who came up with the idea originally.
Recent Examples on the Web
Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 11 Jan. 2026
The law was written to give additional power to developers who set aside at least 30% of their new apartments for affordable-level rents over the next 40 years.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 11 Jan. 2026
Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2025
The goal of those short asides and carefully seeded comments is to allow Nanjiani to outline a self-portrait.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 2 Jan. 2026
Two weeks later, the Supreme Court set aside the judge’s order, over dissents from Thomas and Alito.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for aside
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.
Adverb
Those specifics aside, more stunningly, researchers discovered that these brave, early explorers of new worlds demonstrated a different way of moving than had been previously understood.
—Noun
Twichell has written often about her practice of Zen Buddhism, and one of her rare asides, offered after a particularly sad poem, had the feeling of ancient wisdom.
—Preposition
Toss items that are worn, torn, or stained and set aside unwanted clothing in good repair to donate.
—Cite this Entry
“Aside.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aside. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
Kids Definition
aside
2 of 2 noun
: words meant not to be heard by someone
especially
: an actor's words supposedly not heard by others on the stage
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share