stand 1 of 2

1
as in to sit
to occupy a place or location the monument stands in the middle of the town plaza

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
3
as in to pay
to give what is owed for I'll stand lunch, and you can pay me back later

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4
as in to be
to take or have a certain position within a group arranged in vertical classes if the city's baseball team wins today, they will stand first in the league

Synonyms & Similar Words

stand

2 of 2

noun

as in podium
a level usually raised surface marchers passed by the reviewing stand

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb stand differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of stand are abide, bear, endure, suffer, and tolerate. While all these words mean "to put up with something trying or painful," stand emphasizes even more strongly the ability to bear without discomposure or flinching.

unable to stand teasing

When is abide a more appropriate choice than stand?

Although the words abide and stand have much in common, abide suggests acceptance without resistance or protest.

cannot abide their rudeness

When can bear be used instead of stand?

The synonyms bear and stand are sometimes interchangeable, but bear usually implies the power to sustain without flinching or breaking.

forced to bear a tragic loss

In what contexts can endure take the place of stand?

While the synonyms endure and stand are close in meaning, endure implies continuing firm or resolute through trials and difficulties.

endured years of rejection

When could suffer be used to replace stand?

The meanings of suffer and stand largely overlap; however, suffer often suggests acceptance or passivity rather than courage or patience in bearing.

suffering many insults

When might tolerate be a better fit than stand?

In some situations, the words tolerate and stand are roughly equivalent. However, tolerate suggests overcoming or successfully controlling an impulse to resist, avoid, or resent something injurious or distasteful.

refused to tolerate such treatment

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of stand
Verb
Take this quick quiz to see where your digital habits stand. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2025 The only student in the class who used a medical stroller, he was relegated to watching his classmates play as a staff member stood with him. Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 15 Oct. 2025
Noun
In the run-up to the Minnesota Wild’s 2025-26 home opener on Saturday, members of the media were invited to sample some of the new offerings at various stands throughout the arena. Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 12 Oct. 2025 The Broncos narrowly avoided a baffling loss to the Jets in London on Sunday with another fourth-quarter defensive stand, improving to 4-2 through six games after a 13-11 victory. Luca Evans, Denver Post, 12 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for stand
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stand
Verb
  • The university first acquired the site in 1967 with plans to build student housing, but after structures on the lot were bulldozed, the property sat vacant.
    Sierra Lopez, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025
  • So there’s no time to get entertained besides seeing things on your mobile phone or your laptop or sitting somewhere, waiting in a lounge.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Abbott was the first to announce the deployment of the Texas National Guard to Austin through a foreboding statement on X, warning that any disorder wouldn’t be tolerated.
    Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Though enzymatic processes tolerate more contamination than many chemical ones, industrial plants will likely still require pretreatment (washing, grinding, delabeling) to avoid enzyme fouling.
    Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • What To Know According to the Associated Press (AP), the vote enables the county Board of Supervisors to approve rent relief efforts to tenants who cannot afford to pay their monthly costs of living due to the immigration crackdowns.
    Deputy News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Oct. 2025
  • Through their performances, the 10 remaining couples will pay tribute to influential people in their lives.
    Brianne Tracy, PEOPLE, 15 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • There is no minimum size requirement on any fish.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Shanahan said the plan was for Pinnock to play big nickel against the Buccaneers but that there weren’t any scenarios for that alignment during the game.
    Matt Barrows, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • In 2022, just days before his 18th birthday, Chinese snowboarder Su Yiming found himself atop an Olympic podium with a gold medal hanging around his neck.
    Ben Church, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2025
  • With each loss, with each mistake Glenn makes — on the field, at the podium — questions about his ability to do the impossible (bring the Jets back from the abyss) intensify.
    Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • It was considered immoral to lie and the whole point of writing things down back then was to increase morality and improve society, so there really is no didactic history of forgery.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Ironically, the football game itself is just a backdrop, the real experience lies beyond the field.
    Okla Jones, Essence, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Astronauts traveling to Mars will have to survive for months on a tiny spaceship with minimal food, endure microgravity where their bones and muscles waste away, and suffer from cosmic radiation bombardment.
    Big Think, Big Think, 18 Oct. 2025
  • The consequences for patients who endured famine often lingered long after the hunger ended.
    Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The actor had previously met success with the first film in Netflix's The Kissing Booth series, but his searing performance as the nervy, brooding jock Nate Jacobs was among the most potent features that made Euphoria a water cooler hit.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Oct. 2025
  • The council has met regularly since the fall to collect public input and formulate recommendations, but the final proposal for a graduation standard to the governor will be made by the Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler.
    Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 20 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stand. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on stand

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!