on the outside

idiom

1
: on the outer side, edge, or surface of something
The number 22 car tried to pass the leader on the outside (of the track).
2
baseball : on the side of home plate farthest from the batter
The next pitch was a fastball on the outside.
3
used to describe someone's appearance
I might seem calm on the outside, but I'm actually really nervous.
4
: not in prison
He looked forward to life on the outside again.

Examples of on the outside in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Perkins said Badgers defensive line coach EJ Whitlow told him he would be used in a variety of packages but would often play the 3-technique — an interior player lined up on the outside shoulder of a guard. Jesse Temple, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025 Contact with family not only offers opportunities to bond with those on the outside, but those connections are important for finding housing and work after prison. Walter Pavlo, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024 More news: Teddy Bridgewater to End Retirement to Re-sign With Lions For Playoff Push The Seahawks, who not long ago topped the NFC West, are now on the outside looking in for the playoffs. Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 26 Dec. 2024 That means few people on the outside know many details about these schools, including the racial makeup of their student bodies — at a time when legislatures across the South are rapidly expanding voucher-style programs that will send private schools hundreds of millions more taxpayer dollars. Jennifer Berry Hawes, ProPublica, 19 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for on the outside 

Dictionary Entries Near on the outside

Cite this Entry

“On the outside.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20the%20outside. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.

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