STANDBY Synonyms: 91 Similar and Opposite Words

stand by 1 of 2

verb

Definition of stand by

as in to keep (to)

to give steadfast support to no matter how much people object, I will stand by my decision

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

standby

2 of 2

noun

ˈstan(d)-ˌbī

as in anchor

something or someone to which one looks for support our old standby in times of trouble

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 by

Verb

The governor stands by his return-to-office mandate that on July 1 brought many state workers to the office four days a week. — Sofia Williams, Sacbee.com, 2 Sep. 2026 Video captured from the drone’s perspective and released on Facebook, shows the frustrated bobcat standing by a staircase, growling and arching its back at the hovering machine. — Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 2 Sep. 2026

Noun

Mandarin Orange Chicken This chicken is an old standby that’s voted a customer favorite by TJ’s year after year. — Alex Beggs, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 Aug. 2026 Colors like the perfectly balanced red Ruby Woo, deep beige Velvet Teddy and bright orchid Heroine are beauty-industry standbys, and the brand offers more than 150 lipstick shades in total. — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stand by

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stand by

Verb

But as a rookie, Wilson doesn’t plan to abide by that hierarchy.

— Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2026
Courts still must abide by their precedents and these three legal pillars if a lawsuit hits their dockets.

— O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 22 June 2026

Definition of abide by

Noun

Eventually, Yamada resurfaces with beer cans, lighters, sunglasses, two phones and a vape cartridge — but no anchor.

— Evgenia Anastasakos, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2026
But the focus on the anchor-outs’ relatively modest contribution to bay pollution is indicative of a broader tendency, by no means unique to Marin County, to blame homeless people for everything that goes wrong.

— Maggie McGowan, The New York Review of Books, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of anchor

Verb

Reese, Naz Hilman and Madina Okot were held to 28 points combined with Okot scoring 16 – mostly in the fourth quarter.

— Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 25 June 2026
After scoring 14 runs to begin this four-game series, the Royals have been held to just five runs in their last 18 innings.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 25 June 2026

Definition of hold to

Noun

Ukraine repeatedly has targeted oil facilities that form the backbone of Russia’s economy, one of the world’s largest energy producers.

— Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Building the nuclear backbone One focus will be NANO Nuclear’s HALEU transportation systems.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of backbone

Verb

Inputs divided by outputs established a unit-cost baseline that CFOs could optimize, benchmark and defend to the board.

— Hemant Kapadia, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
The Late Show’s last hurrah now that CBS has pulled the plug, giving Colbert one last trophy for a show that won’t be around to defend it next year.

— Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of defend

Noun

The record was chiefly produced by Jepsen mainstay Kyle Shearer, who provides Day and Night‘s most danceable tracks, while Bullion, CJ Baran, Magnus Lidehäll, and more, make appearances too.

— Jaeden Pinder, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2026
The towering silhouette became a mainstay in closets everywhere, becoming a fashion staple for both men and women.

— Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of mainstay

Noun

That growing reliance on patient portals caught the attention of Mary M.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Networks such as Island and Archipelago electronically matched buy and sell orders, speeding up execution and reducing reliance on traditional market makers and other intermediaries.

— Brian Lund, Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of reliance

Noun

Footwear is a key part of the strategy within several pillars outlined by Joseph Alkire, Kontoor’s president and chief financial officer.

— Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2026
Sports remains the third pillar of the country strategy, according to Oishi, who cites Prime Video’s existing rights to MLB, NBA and live boxing coverage in Japan.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of pillar

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“Stand by.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stand%20by. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of stand by

verb

noun

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