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
Jenny Staletovich, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2024
The city’s emergency management coordinator stresses that, politics aside, the humanitarian crisis at the border continues.
—Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Apr. 2024
Versatility aside, this bag really shines because of its roominess.
—Jean Chen Smith, Travel + Leisure, 5 Apr. 2024
Not even six full months have passed since the October 7 massacre, and already that act of unspeakable barbarity has been reduced to a passing aside in Democratic rhetorical assaults on Israeli perfidy -- that is, when it is mentioned at all.
—Noah Rothman, National Review, 5 Apr. 2024
Romance aside, Thomas says this lunation could also place an emphasis on financial matters too.
—Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024
The good start aside, the conditions that have led to fan unrest remain.
—Mirjam Swanson, Orange County Register, 4 Apr. 2024
Goats aside, the island is also known for its local LSD bread, which was outlawed in the 1950s, and is a popular tourist stop for sail boats and volcano aficionados, who can see nearby Stromboli’s constant eruptions.
—Amarachi Orie, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
Brad Wallace, the company's director of sales and marketing, said the company has set aside more than 50 vehicles for the event.
—Alison Dirr, Journal Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2024
Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 11 Mar. 2024
An action comedy written by Dax Shepard and co-starring him opposite his real-life partner Kristen Bell, Hit & Run gives off Tarantino vibes, featuring more than a few comedic asides, violent outbursts, and meandering banter.
—Johnny Loftus, EW.com, 14 Nov. 2023
Smirnov noted, seemingly as an aside, that Hunter Biden was on Burisma’s board, which had been widely reported.
—Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2024
As with last year’s sublime Super Mario Bros. Wonder, the developers have infused every aspect of this game with quirky little asides and creative flair that elevate what could be an otherwise bland-looking title.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 23 Feb. 2024
This isn’t a film fueled by quips and cynical asides about modern life.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Dec. 2023
Later, Dakota’s voiceover narration and non-fiction asides take us back to 1910, before a fire consumed a previous iteration of the attractions.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 30 Jan. 2024
Republicans seem to remember Trump’s social-media habits as either funny asides or inconsequential distractions — or both.
—Noah Rothman, National Review, 15 Jan. 2024
His sidebars and asides sparkle with an impromptu charm that invites reflection.
—Karen D'souza, The Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2024
Gayle Pollard-Terry, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2024
Two years ago, Bayer set aside as much as $16 billion to resolve more than 100,000 cases over Roundup.
—Jef Feely, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2024
Cross set aside the conviction after ruling that Jones’ defense team proved in a three-day hearing in August 2022 that police and prosecutors had withheld thousands of pages of evidence from Jones’ original defense team.
—The Enquirer, 28 Mar. 2024
As part of a consent agreement with the federal government, the company is also required to set aside $1.5 million to help the children who were illegally employed.
—Laura Strickler, NBC News, 26 Mar. 2024
In fact, Centene had already set aside $1.1 billion to handle all subsequent cases.
—Shalina Chatlani, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2024
The Chips Act set aside $39 billion in grants — plus loans and guarantees worth $75 billion — to convince chip companies to build factories on American soil.
—Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024
Last week, the General Assembly released a draft budget that set aside $150 million to create a Commonwealth Center for Biomedical Excellence.
—Jolene Almendarez, The Enquirer, 20 Mar. 2024
Other cases, including one against a Transportation Department program that set aside $37 billion in contracts for minority businesses, may take years to decide.
—Julian Mark, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024
Adverb
Of about $750 million in revenue expected every year, the law requires at least $100 million to be set aside for the corridor and another $100 million deposited into the Resilient Florida Trust Fund to deal with worsening flooding and sea level rise caused by climate change.
—Jenny Staletovich, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2024
The city’s emergency management coordinator stresses that, politics aside, the humanitarian crisis at the border continues.
—Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Apr. 2024
Versatility aside, this bag really shines because of its roominess.
—Jean Chen Smith, Travel + Leisure, 5 Apr. 2024
Not even six full months have passed since the October 7 massacre, and already that act of unspeakable barbarity has been reduced to a passing aside in Democratic rhetorical assaults on Israeli perfidy -- that is, when it is mentioned at all.
—Noah Rothman, National Review, 5 Apr. 2024
Romance aside, Thomas says this lunation could also place an emphasis on financial matters too.
—Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024
The good start aside, the conditions that have led to fan unrest remain.
—Mirjam Swanson, Orange County Register, 4 Apr. 2024
Goats aside, the island is also known for its local LSD bread, which was outlawed in the 1950s, and is a popular tourist stop for sail boats and volcano aficionados, who can see nearby Stromboli’s constant eruptions.
—Amarachi Orie, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
Brad Wallace, the company's director of sales and marketing, said the company has set aside more than 50 vehicles for the event.
—Alison Dirr, Journal Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2024
Noun
Stone seemed genuinely shocked by her win, which led to a lot of funny, personal asides.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 11 Mar. 2024
An action comedy written by Dax Shepard and co-starring him opposite his real-life partner Kristen Bell, Hit & Run gives off Tarantino vibes, featuring more than a few comedic asides, violent outbursts, and meandering banter.
—Johnny Loftus, EW.com, 14 Nov. 2023
Smirnov noted, seemingly as an aside, that Hunter Biden was on Burisma’s board, which had been widely reported.
—Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2024
As with last year’s sublime Super Mario Bros. Wonder, the developers have infused every aspect of this game with quirky little asides and creative flair that elevate what could be an otherwise bland-looking title.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 23 Feb. 2024
This isn’t a film fueled by quips and cynical asides about modern life.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Dec. 2023
Later, Dakota’s voiceover narration and non-fiction asides take us back to 1910, before a fire consumed a previous iteration of the attractions.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 30 Jan. 2024
Republicans seem to remember Trump’s social-media habits as either funny asides or inconsequential distractions — or both.
—Noah Rothman, National Review, 15 Jan. 2024
His sidebars and asides sparkle with an impromptu charm that invites reflection.
—Karen D'souza, The Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2024
Preposition
Among other things, Disney set aside $1 million for business loans, and former Arco chairman Lodwrick Cook kicked in half a million.
—Gayle Pollard-Terry, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2024
Two years ago, Bayer set aside as much as $16 billion to resolve more than 100,000 cases over Roundup.
—Jef Feely, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2024
Cross set aside the conviction after ruling that Jones’ defense team proved in a three-day hearing in August 2022 that police and prosecutors had withheld thousands of pages of evidence from Jones’ original defense team.
—The Enquirer, 28 Mar. 2024
As part of a consent agreement with the federal government, the company is also required to set aside $1.5 million to help the children who were illegally employed.
—Laura Strickler, NBC News, 26 Mar. 2024
In fact, Centene had already set aside $1.1 billion to handle all subsequent cases.
—Shalina Chatlani, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2024
The Chips Act set aside $39 billion in grants — plus loans and guarantees worth $75 billion — to convince chip companies to build factories on American soil.
—Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024
Last week, the General Assembly released a draft budget that set aside $150 million to create a Commonwealth Center for Biomedical Excellence.
—Jolene Almendarez, The Enquirer, 20 Mar. 2024
Other cases, including one against a Transportation Department program that set aside $37 billion in contracts for minority businesses, may take years to decide.
—Julian Mark, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'aside.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near aside
Cite this Entry
“Aside.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aside. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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