stand-up

1 of 3

adjective

1
a
b
: stiffened to stay upright without folding over
a stand-up collar
2
: performed in, performing in, or requiring a standing position
a stand-up bar
especially : of, relating to, performing, or being a monologue of jokes, gags, or satirical comments delivered usually while standing alone on a stage or in front of a camera
stand-up comedy
a stand-up comedian
3
: marked by a high degree of personal integrity or loyalty
a stand-up guy

stand-up

2 of 3

noun

1
: stand-up comedy
also : a performer of such comedy
2
: a television broadcast in which the reporter or narrator faces the camera with the scene of the story in the background

stand up

3 of 3

verb

stood up; standing up; stands up

intransitive verb

1
: to rise to a standing position
2
: to remain sound and intact under stress, attack, or close scrutiny

transitive verb

: to fail to keep an appointment with
Phrases
stand up for
: to defend against attack or criticism
stand up to
1
: to meet fairly and fully
2
: to face boldly
stand up with
: to be best man or maid of honor for at a wedding ceremony

Examples of stand-up in a Sentence

Verb a hypothesis that won't stand up to close analysis
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
This is the no-nonsense fairy godmother behind the careers of your favorite stand-up comics. Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024 Segura owns a podcasting company, Your Mom’s House Studios, and the tour section of each of their respective websites is jam-packed with stand-up dates. Nicole Fell, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Mar. 2024 The debut edition of the Netflix Is a Joke Festival featured 295 live shows, and the streamer has continued to experiment with its comedy programming, last year debuting a live stand-up show by Chris Rock. Addie Morfoot, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024 Saget may have been popular, but he was known for television and stand-up. Travis M. Andrews, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2024 Lewis announced his Parkinson's diagnosis last April, with his plan to retire from stand-up comedy coming out at the same time. Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 4 Mar. 2024 The options for outdoor adventures are seemingly endless in this corner of the world, from stand-up paddling along the Colorado River to hiking, canyoneering, and mountain biking while taking in the signature ochre rock formations. Krista Simmons, Sunset Magazine, 4 Mar. 2024 Surfing, kayaking, and stand-up paddleboarding are available, even scuba diving. Dominique Fluker, Essence, 4 Mar. 2024 On a good weekend of stand-up, a comedian might gain 20 new followers from several performances. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 4 Mar. 2024
Noun
In this post-season glow, performing stand-up across the country, the two cast members were about to conjure two of their most popular characters on the show. Andy Hoglund, EW.com, 25 Mar. 2023 Kemp’s infectious smile and, by all accounts, stand-up status as a teammate put him on the list. James Yasko, Chron, 24 Mar. 2023 John Mulaney is making a comeback to stand-up with his latest special, John Mulaney: Baby J. (His last special was released five years ago in 2018. Amanda Curran, Glamour, 22 Mar. 2023 Amazon Prime Video's comedy that follows the life of a stand-up comedian in the 1960s will end with its fifth season, which premieres on April 14. Brendan Morrow, The Week, 20 Mar. 2023 Sandler did his first stand-up at 17 at an open mic in Boston. Geoff Edgers, Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2023 Rodgers said that Hawk suggested McAfee as an emergency fill-in for a golf tournament team, and McAfee agreed to do it even while in the midst of a stand-up comedy tour. Jr Radcliffe, Journal Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2023 President Zelensky, the most important person standing up for freedom, was a stand-up comic. Rob Tannenbaum, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2023 In addition, Laugh Out Loud Radio on SiriusXM will exclusively premiere Bernie Mac’s first-ever solo full-length stand-up album. Todd Spangler, Variety, 15 Mar. 2023
Verb
Some women even had to stand up in order to remove their plants. Kailyn Brown, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 The kickstand may be difficult for younger kids to operate and may not stand up to being too roughly manipulated. Tanya Edwards, Parents, 13 Mar. 2024 But the guy doesn’t show, so Lena gets chatting with shy computer expert Daniel (Postlethwaite), who is also on his own having been stood up by a prospective date. Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2024 But now the city is ready to stand up its second micro-community. Joe Rubino, The Denver Post, 12 Mar. 2024 City Councilmember Colin Parent stood up and walked out. Lauren J. Mapp, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2024 Manganiello then stands up and gives a taste of his character’s moves from the film. Stephanie Wenger, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 The all-weather mat has to stand up to the extreme Southern clime, and this mat is durable enough to resist the weather, stains, and fading. Gabriela Izquierdo, Southern Living, 8 Mar. 2024 Around Southwest 328th Street, Smith stood up and pulled a gun. David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stand-up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1749, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Noun

1954, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stand-up was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near stand-up

Cite this Entry

“Stand-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stand-up. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

stand up

verb
1
: to rise to a standing position
2
: to remain in good condition
stands up to repeated washings
3
: to fail to keep an appointment with
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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