: to be on both sides or ends of (something or someone) : flank
… dimples bookending his smile. Jennifer Kornreich
—often used in passive constructions
… a squat sports arena of concrete and black glass bookended by a pair of massive concrete cylinders … Wells Tower
2
a
: to begin and end (something) with two similar things or with the same thing
… Klim and Thorpe had bookended the relay with two of the fastest 100-meter split times ever … Alexander Wolff
He bookends his meaty battle narrative with a thorough analysis of Roosevelt's internment policy … Jonathan Mahler
b
: to serve as or mark the beginning and ending of (something) : to be the first and last parts or events of (something)
… a movie that, together with All the President's Men, bookends the era of heroic investigative journalism. Rand Richards Cooper
—often used in passive constructions
… the period bookended by the Civil War and the civil rights movement. Christopher Benfey
The anthology is bookended by an introductory essay by the editors … and an epilogue … C. L. Salter
Example Sentences
Noun a pair of bookends shaped like horses He used an empty flowerpot as a bookend.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
One of our favorite holidays is the bookend to this fabulous time of year. Rebekah Lowin, Country Living, 17 Aug. 2022 Live entertainment will take place throughout the day on the two bookend stages at the eastern and western ends of the festival area. Carol Kovach, cleveland, 14 June 2022 Those are the bookend ages of the oldest Home Run Derby participant, Albert Pujols, and the second-youngest winner, Juan Soto. Greg Moore, The Arizona Republic, 19 July 2022 Also showing up beautifully on KFSD is the descending rear-inflow jet and re-intensifying bookend vortex. Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 5 July 2022 Thomas also finished ranked among the top 20, giving the Seminoles a bookend pair that accounted for 18.5 of the team’s 33 quarterback sacks. Matt Murschel, orlandosentinel.com, 25 Feb. 2022 The bookend appearances of DeSantis and Trump -- from the opening act to the prime-time headliner -- shine an even brighter light on the relationship between the governor and the former President. Steve Contorno And Jeff Zeleny, CNN, 24 Feb. 2022 This year, Eastman became a bookend of the festival. Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2022 If so, there may yet be hope for Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the other bookend of Washington’s antitrust obsession with big tech. Holman W. Jenkins, WSJ, 10 May 2022 See More