stay behind

idiom

: to not leave at the present time
You can go on ahead. I'll stay behind to help clean up.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Big John makes the only sane decision of his life and opts to stay behind. Lauren Puckett-pope, ELLE, 25 Feb. 2023 Back in February, fathers, husbands and sons had to stay behind as their wives, mothers and daughters boarded trains with small children seeking safety outside the country. Renata Brito, Hanna Arhirova, Anchorage Daily News, 1 Jan. 2023 Many people travel abroad to see family over the holidays, but those who stay behind enjoy the season's quiet nature. Kate Springer, CNN, 24 Dec. 2022 Although her family members decided to leave, Brookelyn chose to stay behind. Dateline Nbc, NBC News, 6 Dec. 2022 At the end of the day, Quanita and Quentin just want Keith to stay behind bars. Kc Baker, Peoplemag, 3 Nov. 2022 But the title wasn’t enough to take precedence over his talent, and his plans to stay behind the scenes quickly changed. Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2022 The other children had to stay behind. Brian M. Rosenthal Jonah Markowitz, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2022 The boys didn’t stay behind this week. Jessica Roiz, Billboard, 19 Aug. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stay behind.' 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 stay behind

Cite this Entry

“Stay behind.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stay%20behind. Accessed 31 May. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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