someone besides us

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "someone besides us" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to an additional person or group that is not included in "us." Example: "We need to find someone besides us to help with the project."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

We question how this got so far without someone, besides us, telling the developer, "Hey, this is too dense". In essence, many artists are manufacturers with a kiln, foundry, tile cutting, curing ovens, paint and adhesives.

Los Angeles Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Someone "besides my client" was behaving in a threatening manner, he said, though he wouldn't say who.

Los Angeles Times

Finally, someone besides Jordan came through for the Bulls.

The New York Times - Sports

About half the Republican electorate wants someone besides Trump or Cruz.

The New Yorker

I surmise that what it was like to be someone besides himself bewildered Bazille.

The New Yorker

On the Democratic side, what if Clinton had chosen someone besides Tim Kaine?

The Washington Post

This convinced prosecutors that someone besides Mr. Criner was responsible for the attack.

The New York Times

He made clear that he expected that negotiation to take place with someone besides Mr. Arafat.

The New York Times

I wanted someone, besides my parents, to know what was happening to me.

The New York Times - Magazine

Muckler apparently would rather have someone besides Daigle on the ice.

The New York Times - Sports

O'Neill was happy that someone, besides his family, had remembered the importance of Charles O'Neill.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "someone besides us" when you want to emphasize that the person being discussed is not part of your immediate group.

Common error

Avoid using "someone besides us" when the intended meaning is simply "someone among us". The phrase implies an external individual, not an internal member.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "someone besides us" functions as a prepositional phrase, modifying a noun or pronoun to specify an individual or group distinct from "us". Ludwig examples confirm its role in identifying alternatives or exclusions.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

67%

Academia

23%

Science

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "someone besides us" is a grammatically correct and commonly used prepositional phrase to denote an individual or group distinct from the speaker and their associates. As Ludwig AI confirms, it’s widely used across news, academic, and general contexts. When using this phrase, clarity is crucial to ensure the reference to "us" is unambiguous. While alternatives like "someone other than us" exist, "someone besides us" maintains a versatile and clear way to express exclusion from a specific group.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

someone other than us

Replaces "besides" with "other than", maintaining a similar level of formality and directness.

someone apart from us

Uses "apart from" instead of "besides", suggesting a separation or distinction.

someone outside of our group

Directly indicates that the person is not a member of the group.

an individual separate from us

More formal, emphasizes the separation of one person from the group.

another person, not us

Simplifies the phrase for clarity, emphasizing the exclusion of "us".

someone external to us

Highlights that the person is not within the group, implying an outside entity.

a person distinct from us

Emphasizes the difference and lack of connection between the person and the group.

somebody different than us

Uses "different than" to highlight the contrast.

a third party, not us

Introduces the legal and business term "third party" for a more formal context.

an alternative to us

Suggests that the person or group functions as a substitute or replacement for "us".

FAQs

What does "someone besides us" mean?

The phrase "someone besides us" refers to another person or group, distinct and separate from the speaker and their associates. It indicates someone not included in "us".

How can I use "someone besides us" in a sentence?

You might say, "We need "someone besides us" to help organize the event", indicating assistance is needed from outside your group.

What's a more formal alternative to "someone besides us"?

A more formal alternative could be "someone other than us" or "an individual separate from us", depending on the context.

Is "someone besides us" interchangeable with "someone else"?

While similar, "someone else" is more general. "Someone besides us" specifically excludes the speaker and their group, whereas "someone else" does not necessarily imply that exclusion.