BENCHING

/ben chuhng/

Verb

The act of keeping a potential partner on the sidelines as a backup option; Stringing someone along but never intending to prioritize or pursue them

ORIGIN

In sports, benching refers to when a player is left out of the starting lineup and spends most or all of the game sitting on the bench. They remain on the sidelines watching the action and can only enter the game if another player is injured, taken out, or otherwise unable to continue.

Same goes for benching in the context of dating. Benching is the act of leading a person on, letting them think they are a part of your life but really, they are just a backup choice. 

People who bench others are typically afraid of commitment. They are interested enough to continue talking and texting with the person, but they don’t see them as their top choice. 

See Also

Palace assures Sara police won’t harm her

They give the “benched” person just enough attention to keep them interested and hopeful, without intending to pursue a serious relationship.

EXAMPLES

“Brent decided to stop benching her and either commit or move on.”

“He kept her around by benching her while waiting to see if someone else would work out.”