at bay
idiom
: in the position of being unable to move closer while attacking or trying to approach someone
—used with keep or hold
The soldiers kept the attackers at bay.
—often used figurativelyThe doctors have been able to keep her illness at bay for several months.
Examples of at bay in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
And Harper, as the healer Astrov, who drinks too much to keep his self-hatred at bay, is utterly delightful.
—
Trish Deitch, Variety, 25 Apr. 2024
There is no cure for rosacea, but keeping up with a skin care regimen can help keep the symptoms at bay.
—Larry Stansbury, Essence, 24 Apr. 2024
This model has some sleek upgrades to the old-fashioned mason jar—the innovative flip-top lid with handle has an airtight silicone seal that keeps leaks and spills at bay.
—Carrie Honaker, Southern Living, 23 Apr. 2024
Though some foreigners accuse him of stoking a war with Iran for his own personal benefit, in Israel he is often seen as cautiously threading the needle between keeping Iran at bay while avoiding an outright war.
—Patrick Kingsley, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2024
With the emergence of generative AI, however, fraudsters may be able to outsmart the tools put in place to keep them at bay, solving problems like trap questions and eliminating giveaways like repeat answers and gibberish.
—Kaleigh Rogers, ABC News, 19 Apr. 2024
With the deficit looming, Oakland’s leaders in recent weeks have implemented a hiring freeze to keep things at bay in a city that is known to often be understaffed.
—Shomik Mukherjee, The Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2024
Make a border of pavers or stones about 6 inches high to keep the gravel contained and at a consistent level, and to help keep weeds at bay.
—Caitlin Huson, Washington Post, 16 Apr. 2024
Human beings crash through nature, break it apart and leave it in ruins, just to make supper by 6 p.m.
Your only hope of keeping the agony of this realization at bay is to endeavor to be gentler and better in the tiny scope of things under your control.
—Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
Trish Deitch, Variety, 25 Apr. 2024
There is no cure for rosacea, but keeping up with a skin care regimen can help keep the symptoms at bay.
—Larry Stansbury, Essence, 24 Apr. 2024
This model has some sleek upgrades to the old-fashioned mason jar—the innovative flip-top lid with handle has an airtight silicone seal that keeps leaks and spills at bay.
—Carrie Honaker, Southern Living, 23 Apr. 2024
Though some foreigners accuse him of stoking a war with Iran for his own personal benefit, in Israel he is often seen as cautiously threading the needle between keeping Iran at bay while avoiding an outright war.
—Patrick Kingsley, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2024
With the emergence of generative AI, however, fraudsters may be able to outsmart the tools put in place to keep them at bay, solving problems like trap questions and eliminating giveaways like repeat answers and gibberish.
—Kaleigh Rogers, ABC News, 19 Apr. 2024
With the deficit looming, Oakland’s leaders in recent weeks have implemented a hiring freeze to keep things at bay in a city that is known to often be understaffed.
—Shomik Mukherjee, The Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2024
Make a border of pavers or stones about 6 inches high to keep the gravel contained and at a consistent level, and to help keep weeds at bay.
—Caitlin Huson, Washington Post, 16 Apr. 2024
Human beings crash through nature, break it apart and leave it in ruins, just to make supper by 6 p.m.
Your only hope of keeping the agony of this realization at bay is to endeavor to be gentler and better in the tiny scope of things under your control.
—Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'at bay.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near at bay
Cite this Entry
“At bay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at%20bay. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
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