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to bench

to bench

31 5.5
To stop a player from playing in a game
  • verb
  • /bɛnʧ/
  • Informal
translation icon : sentar en el banquillo
  • After his performance in the last match, the manager had no choice but to bench him for the upcoming game.
  • bench players
  • get benched
  • coach benched

Go from that to a guy that's benched last year.

Examples

  • Great player, but I had to bench him during the championship.

  • Dwyer was banged up earlier this year, and reportedly was benched for a fumble against Oakland in Week 3.

    Blog text (6)
  • How dare you bench my daughter?

  • I hit a home run and you benched me.

  • Unfortunately, Smith will never be benched for his poor play this year.

    Blog text (8)
  • I practiced every time you benched me.

  • The entire boys basketball team at Richmond High School... has been benched.

  • Of course, Coach Ragemeyer benched me for a lot of those innings.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • McNabb recalled how he played in 2008 after he was benched in a Week 12 loss at Baltimore.

    Blog text (7)
  • So Greg Little is going to be benched for Jordan Norwood in Baltimore on Thursday?

    Blog text (17)

Synonyms

to ride the bench
vsto bench
  • Jargon
2 7.5

To stay on the sidelines and not play in a game

refers to removing a player or keeping them out of the active lineup
to ride the pine
vsto bench
  • Slang
2 9.5

Sit on the bench and not play during a sports game

refers to removing a player or keeping them out rather than the sitting state
to warm the bench
vsto bench
  • Informal
1 7.0

A player who sits on the side and does not play in games

refers to taking a player out or keeping them off the active roster

Antonyms

715 3.6

To make a machine, system, or account start working

Idioms

2 7.5

To stay on the sidelines and not play in a game

1 7.0

A player who sits on the side and does not play in games

Phrasal Verbs

To stop work on a project for a time until things change

Delay talking about an idea until later

Compounds

20 1.0

A long seat with a back in a park for people to sit

bench warrant
  • Formal
4 8.1

An order from a judge that allows police to arrest someone and bring them to court

4 3.0

An exercise where a person lies on their back on a bench and pushes weight up from the chest

lab bench
  • Specialized
2 2.8

A long sturdy table in a lab used for experiments

bench warmer
  • Informal
1 6.7

A player on a sports team who rarely plays

1 3.1

A strong, flat surface you lie on to lift weights

front bench
  • Jargon
1 6.5

Seats in parliament for government ministers or top opposition members

A tool that holds a piece on a workbench firmly while you cut or drill

A wooden block attached to a bench that holds wood steady while you cut or shape it

bench jockey
  • Informal
9.3

A person who supports and cheers for the team from the sideline

bench lathe
  • Specialized
8.0

A small machine fixed to a workbench that turns metal or wood for careful shaping

6.4

A metal or stone mark in the ground that shows a known height to measure land

bench press
  • Specialized
5.6

A small press fixed to a workbench for punching or shaping metal

bench vise
  • Specialized
6.5

A tool fixed to a workbench with two parts that press to hold things while you work

bench-warmer
  • Informal
5.8

A player who rarely plays and stays on the bench during games

A long wooden seat with a back for people to sit in a church

laboratory bench
  • Specialized
3.7

A strong table in a lab where people do experiments

incline bench press
  • Specialized
5.5

An exercise pressing a barbell or dumbbells up on a sloping bench to work the upper chest

optical bench
  • Specialized
7.5

A long fixed bar that holds lenses and mirrors for experiments

woodworking bench
  • Specialized
3.7

A strong table that holds wood while you cut or shape it

How Dismissive

to expel
194 5.0
to eject
32 4.2
to send to the showers
  • Jargon
1 8.5
to bench
  • Informal
31 5.5
substitute
211 3.2

Surface Forms

bench infinitive
benched past
benched past participle
benching present participle
benches third person singular

Etymology

Bench meaning to remove a player from a game comes from putting them on the team's seat or 'bench' so they do not play. So to bench someone is to make them sit out of the match.