both sides
/boʊθ saɪdz/
CommonFalsely equating two opposing positions as equally valid or equally flawed.
Can be a genuine call for nuance or a cowardly dodge. The accusation 'you are both-sidesing this' means the speaker believes one side is clearly right and false equivalence helps the wrong side.
Real-world examples4 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | The headline both-sides it like one group wanting rights and another opposing them are morally equal. | Media is presenting an asymmetric moral situation as balanced. | x, 2024 |
| 02 | Saying both sides are bad is the laziest political take. | Refusing to distinguish between positions is intellectual cowardice. | reddit, 2024 |
| 03 | You can't just both-sides climate change. One side has the science. | Creating false balance on a settled scientific issue is harmful. | x, 2023 |
| 04 | Sometimes both sides actually do suck though. | Defending the position that genuine false choices exist. | reddit, 2023 |
Use it when
- Criticizing media or people for creating false equivalence.
- Calling out someone who refuses to acknowledge one side is clearly worse.
- Mocking centrist posturing that avoids moral clarity.
Do not use it when
- Two positions genuinely are comparable and nuance is warranted.
- You mean a literal physical division.
- Someone is acknowledging complexity without equating the two.
Variations and related forms
Both-sides vs straw man
both sides
Both-sides equates two positions to avoid picking the right one.
VS
straw-man
A straw man distorts one position to make the other look right.
Origin and context
Became common criticism of media 'balance' in the 2010s, especially around climate coverage and political reporting. 'Both-sidesing' as a verb emerged on political Twitter.
- First seen
- 2010s
- Confidence
- medium
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/both-sidesUpdated: 2026-08-25License: CC BY 4.0