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
Mekishana Pierre, EW.com, 15 July 2025
Keeping the flaws aside, Maalik offers a good theatrical experience for Hindi cinema lovers.
—Sweta Kaushal, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
Emma Alpern, Vulture, 2 July 2025
As an aside, what few parties have tried is building a hyper-local newsroom on a shoestring budget, tying it to a mobile phone app, and charging subscribers very low prices for getting all the tea about what’s happening in their neighborhoods.
—John Werner, Forbes.com, 3 July 2025
Nik Popli, Time, 18 July 2025
Deep listening is the discipline of being fully present with another person—suspending judgment, setting aside distractions, and resisting the urge to formulate a response.
—Tima Bansal, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for aside
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adverb
Social media absence aside, Waterhouse is due to return to the stage on Aug. 7, when her tour hits Aspen, Colo.
—Mekishana Pierre, EW.com, 15 July 2025
Keeping the flaws aside, Maalik offers a good theatrical experience for Hindi cinema lovers.
—Sweta Kaushal, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
Noun
Price: Free Story Club by George Saunders The No. 1 Substack in the literature category and one of the best newsletters about the craft of writing, with short-story analysis and personal asides.
—Emma Alpern, Vulture, 2 July 2025
As an aside, what few parties have tried is building a hyper-local newsroom on a shoestring budget, tying it to a mobile phone app, and charging subscribers very low prices for getting all the tea about what’s happening in their neighborhoods.
—John Werner, Forbes.com, 3 July 2025
Preposition
Those agents, Durbin wrote, were instructed to identify and set aside any materials that referenced Trump.
—Nik Popli, Time, 18 July 2025
Deep listening is the discipline of being fully present with another person—suspending judgment, setting aside distractions, and resisting the urge to formulate a response.
—Tima Bansal, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for aside
Cite this Entry
“Aside.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aside. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
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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