sit out

verb

sat out; sitting out; sits out

transitive verb

: to refrain from participating in
sat out every dance

Examples of sit out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Tyrel Dodson, who is competing with rookie Jacob Rodriguez for the starting inside linebacker role, had his practice participation limited Tuesday after sitting out the previous two sessions because of an undisclosed injury…. — Omar Kelly august 25, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026 Michigan starting center Moustapha Thiam, a transfer from Cincinnati, also got hurt six minutes into the first game, and sophomore guard Trey McKenney sat out the second game. — Cj Moore, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 And defensive tackle Shelby Harris continued to sit out team drills, as well. — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 25 Aug. 2026 With three-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes sitting out, Justin Fields opened at quarterback for the Chiefs, who have not said whether Mahomes will play in next week's preseason finale against Seattle. — ABC News, 22 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sit out

Word History

First Known Use

1659, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sit out was in 1659

Rhymes for sit out

See All Rhymes for sit out

Browse Nearby Words

sitosterol
sit out
sit over
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sit out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sit%20out. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of southpaw

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All