side hustle

noun

variants or less commonly side-hustle
plural side hustles also side-hustles
: work performed for income supplementary to one's primary job
These days, lots of people have a side hustle to help them earn extra income, develop new skills, become a business owner and quit their day job.Kitsap Sun
The best part of using a blog as a side hustle is the work you put in now will continue to pay off well into the future.Emory Wheel (Emory University)
Want to learn a new skill you've had your eyes on for quite some time? Or perhaps you want to take up a new hobby that you can eventually turn into a side hustle?Jan Cortes
We all know that millennials love a good side hustle—to fuel both their passions and their wallets.Alissa Carpenter

Examples of side hustle 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.
Inflation, student debt, and stagnant salaries are fueling the cost of living crisis, and these factors, combined with job insecurity, have led to a rise in the trend of many U.S.-based professionals turning to part-time jobs, side hustles, and gig work to make ends meet. Rachel Wells, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025 And yet, Browne couldn’t help but have a side hustle. Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 1 June 2025 In 2019, Hill sought to increase her income by starting a side hustle. Ashton Jackson eric Clark, CNBC, 31 May 2025 Dianna Singh, a longtime beauty editor — who is currently Allure’s features director — has found a breezy side hustle in her eponymous line of caftans, which soft-launched on the brand’s website Wednesday. James Manso, Footwear News, 30 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for side hustle

Word History

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of side hustle was in 1950

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Cite this Entry

“Side hustle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/side%20hustle. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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