in the front row

prepositional phrase

Able to witness everything.

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Meanings

prepositional phrase
  1. idiomaticAble to witness everything.

    It's just that whenever I screw up, you're always in the front row.

    1994, Dana Stabenow, A Cold-Blooded Business, →ISBN, page 83
    3 more examples

    For my entire life the comet hurtled sunward, and then for a fleeting moment I positioned myself in the front row to enjoy its passage as it returned into distant space. For me the 1985-86 Halley apparition will be fondly remembered long after the Halley bars are eaten and the T-shirt fades.

    1987, David Deskins, Looking back: amateur adventures with Halley's comet, 1985-1986

    I'm proud of your talent and your compassion for people and your place in our family. However your dreams unfold, I'll be in the front row to watch it happen.

    2009, Karen Kingsbury, This Side of Heaven: A Novel, →ISBN

    Few passengers cried on the way to the prison. almost all cried on the way home. Camila and aunt Maria sat in silence at first, letting their tears stream unchecked. Then Camila asked, “is anyone from our family going to be there?” “i doubt it.” “i'm surprised. i thought Grandma Vickie would be in the front row.”

    2015, Patrick Jones, Guarding Secrets, →ISBN, page 24
  2. idiomaticProminent, demanding attention.

    He himself had worked for organisations not always up to the task they had set, but always in the front row to declare their skills and success.

    2011, Pietro Giacomo Menolfi, My African Mission, →ISBN, page 299
    2 more examples

    I wrote the HOW and attracted people who were reaching out for help and prepared to help; genuine and loving people who expanded my network, positioned themselves in the front row of my life, new and divine relationships that pushed me to the edge of my comfort zone.

    2008, A Story of Empowerment, →ISBN, page 76

    The director in the front row of your mind is the result of critical thinking. He or she is the part of you that keeps you on track, helps you stay in the moment, and gives you focus and guidance with your performance.

    2012, James Alburger, The Art of Voice Acting, →ISBN
  3. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see in, front row.
Cite this entry
APA

in the front row. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20the%20front%20row

MLA

“in the front row.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20the%20front%20row. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “in the front row,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20the%20front%20row.

Source: in the front row on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.