as in to keep (to)
to give steadfast support to
no matter how much people object, I will stand by my decision
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in anchor
something or someone to which one looks for support
our old standby in times of trouble
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stand by
William D. Lopez, Time, 29 Sep. 2025
On April 13, 2025, Stoll stood by the 18th green to watch McIlroy secure a victory over Justin Rose.
—Effie Orfanides, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2025
Emily Palmer Heller, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
This meant that select watch faces, like Reflections, could update every second even in standby.
—David Phelan, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stand by
Verb
Advertisement Yet communities have refused to stand by idly.
—William D. Lopez, Time, 29 Sep. 2025
On April 13, 2025, Stoll stood by the 18th green to watch McIlroy secure a victory over Justin Rose.
—Effie Orfanides, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2025
Noun
Where The Nun suffered from a complete and utter lack of tension, director Michael Chaves uses some classic horror standbys to build suspense.
—Emily Palmer Heller, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
This meant that select watch faces, like Reflections, could update every second even in standby.
—David Phelan, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stand by
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stand by
Noun
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But Okoro should have room to develop in this next chapter — both as a perimeter anchor and a reliable offensive player — without the urgency of a contending rotation.—
Joel Lorenzi,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Traditional mooring systems often become either too tight or too loose as water depths shift, causing strain on anchors and reducing the efficiency and lifespan of floating solar platforms.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The bacon fat and rendered ham drippings are the backbone of this super simple savory sauce, studded with small pieces of sweet mirepoix and earthy black-eyed peas.—
Elizabeth Mervosh,
Southern Living,
6 Oct. 2025
-
American historiography of the Civil War would be dominated by the Confederate-friendly into the middle of the twentieth century, providing intellectual backbone for the American version of apartheid.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
5 Oct. 2025
Noun
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A week after the Nashville mainstay postponed her Las Vegas residency due to unspecified health struggles, her sister shared an update on Facebook.—
Jeff Nelson,
PEOPLE,
7 Oct. 2025
-
First founded in 1963, Bread and Puppet has been a mainstay of radical political performance, with its annual Fall Circus touring the country for more than fifty years.—
Neda Ulaby,
NPR,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
But reliance on soldiers of fortune undermined the Kremlin’s message of national unity and allowed an overwhelming majority of Russians to stay uninvolved.—
Nina Khrushcheva,
Time,
3 Oct. 2025
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Deposits along its northwestern border with China and eastern coastline are being explored to boost production and reduce reliance on imports.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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On paper, this is a deep, talented defense that skates well, defends hard, and can move the puck.—
Harman Dayal,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
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Much to the frustration of sleuthing fans, Sherman-Palladino has continued to defend the miniseries’ ending, saying her concern wasn’t with the goings on of any of the aforementioned men.—
Claire Franken,
TVLine,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin have been around for about half of the franchise’s existence — two long-time pillars on the back end.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Van Epps has made his military service a central pillar of his campaign, featuring a Chinook helicopter on his campaign logo.—
Vivian Jones,
Nashville Tennessean,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stand by.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stand%20by. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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