wait on

verb

variants or less commonly wait upon
waited on also waited upon; waiting on also waiting upon; waits on also waits upon
Synonyms of wait onnext

transitive verb

1
a
: to attend as a servant
b
: to supply the wants of : serve
2
: to make a formal call on
3
: to wait for

Examples of wait on in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Purpose waits on you to become who you’re meant to be. Chris Willman, Variety, 30 Apr. 2026 The Senate launched the process last week, and is now waiting on the House to act. Lisa Mascaro, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026 And that’s allowing Fed policymakers to be prudent, waiting on the sidelines to see everything play out before making a call to raise or lower rates, as several of them have said in recent public speeches, particularly the officials who dissented this week. Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 29 Apr. 2026 Mississippi lawmakers had been waiting on a decision in the Louisiana case before moving forward, but their legislative session ended earlier this month. ABC News, 29 Apr. 2026 Yet once again, lawmakers appear to be waiting on direction from the executive branch before acting. Dan Daley, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2026 Overdue bills, lost jobs — and slow lawsuits Earlier this month, a federal judge in Northern California issued a preliminary injunction mandating that USCIS issue a decision by May 18 on applications from 31 citizens of Iran and one citizen of Sudan who are waiting on work authorizations. Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 28 Apr. 2026 Tameka Bryant, the mall’s general manager, has dutifully documented the wait on her Facebook page. Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 28 Apr. 2026 Teams bet on receivers and waited on linebackers. Luca Evans, Denver Post, 24 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Wait on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wait%20on. Accessed 1 May. 2026.

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