sideways

Not straight ahead

Sideways means to or from the side rather than straight ahead or behind: She glanced sideways at him, The car slid sideways on the ice.

It can describe orientation—a sideways look, a sideways move.

Figuratively, sideways suggests indirectness or unconventionality: a sideways approach to the problem.

If something goes sideways, it goes wrong: The deal went sideways fast.

askew

tilted

Angled from vertical

slantedAngled from vertical
skewedAsymmetrically shifted
crookedBent or dishonest

lopsided · off-kilter · awry · canted · cockeyed · aslant · angled · misaligned · uneven · listing

glance

askance

With doubt or disapproval

furtiveSecretive and sly
slyCleverly deceptive
covertIntentionally concealed

peripheral · fleeting · knowing · suspicious · wary · distrustful · appraising · skeptical · stink-eye

lateral

horizontal

Parallel to the horizon

crosswiseAt right angles
transverseExtending sideways across
broadsideFierce written assault

flanking · alongside · abreast · athwart · profile · laterally · parallel · adjacent · tangential

indirect

oblique

Angled, not straightforward

evasiveAvoiding direct response
roundaboutCircular junction for traffic
circuitousIndirect, winding path

tangential · allusive · veiled · elliptical · sly · subtle · backhanded · covert · underhanded · devious

crabwise

sidling

Moving laterally, often furtively

shufflingRandomizing order of items
edgewiseWith side foremost
skirtingAvoiding by going around

evasive · crablike · sidestepping · scuttling · inching · creeping · gliding · sliding · slinking · maneuvering

Categories

positionsabove, behind, below, between, front
wayspathway, roadway, walkway, driveway, hallway
crab traitsscuttle, claws, pincers, shell, carapace
lateral thingsflank, edge, wing, border, periphery
orientationshorizontal, vertical, diagonal, perpendicular, parallel
directionnorth, south, east, west, up

Opposites

directional orientation

sidewaysforward

Onward in direction

straight ahead · forwards · backward · backwards · head-on

directness of approach

sidewaysdirectly

Without intermediary steps

straight · direct · head-on · forthright · straightforward

ATTITUDE OR REGARD (as in "sideways glance")

sidewaysdirectly

Without intermediary steps

trustingly · approvingly · favorably · trustfully · openly

Phrases

sidewalk chalkThick crayons for concrete
sidewalk cafeOutdoor urban dining establishment
sideways glanceLook without facing directly
moving sidewalkConveyor for walking passengers
sidewalk saleOutdoor discount retail event
looking sideways

Family

sidewalk, sideway, sideward

Familiarity: Top 5,000
Profile: Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G