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
-
Once there, climbers unclip one carabiner, reattach it to the cable after the anchor point, and then repeat with the other carabiner.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Lu’s journal-like songwriting anchors the mythical, otherworldly atmosphere depicted on the album cover and Wisp’s viral music videos.—
John Lonsdale,
Rolling Stone,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Since the end of the pandemic, consumers have proved to be the backbone of the American economy—much to the surprise of some of Wall Street’s biggest names.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
29 Sep. 2025
-
The Wild’s best forwards all bring a lot to the table defensively, and they’re aided by a strong defensive backbone in the top four, headlined by Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin.—
The Athletic NHL,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The debut episode under the new banner features Kandi Burruss, the ever-expanding entrepreneur, Grammy-winning songwriter, and reality TV mainstay.—
Shelby Stewart,
Essence,
30 Sep. 2025
-
The movie continues to be a mainstay on the streamer’s weekly Top 10 list since its launch 14 weeks ago.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
29 Sep. 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
-
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
-
The county is currently defending a long-running class-action case alleging systemic deficiencies in the jails’ health care.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Sep. 2025
-
McKinney has an interception on the season and four passes defended.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Authorities said the building’s foundation pillars gave way while construction workers were laying down concrete.—
Britt Clennett,
ABC News,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Votives and tealights are small and subtle accent options, while taper and pillar candles are often much larger.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stand by.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stand%20by. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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