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
Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 19 June 2025
At a nearby concession stand, Ramiro Castillo, a 34-year-old resident of Atlanta, stood by himself before ordering a beer.
—Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 17 June 2025
Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2025
While he is all set to race in the Cup Series in Mexico this weekend, Hendrick Motorsports has a reserve driver on standby in case Bowman is unable to participate.
—Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for stand by
Verb
Thankfully, his wife, Trish, Matheson’s high-school sweetheart, stood by him, and his few remaining restaurant friends staged an intervention not long after.
—Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 19 June 2025
At a nearby concession stand, Ramiro Castillo, a 34-year-old resident of Atlanta, stood by himself before ordering a beer.
—Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 17 June 2025
Noun
When the big day finally arrived in early June, more than 60 firefighters showed up with multiple fire engines, at least one bulldozer and a firefighting helicopter on standby in case anything went wrong.
—Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2025
While he is all set to race in the Cup Series in Mexico this weekend, Hendrick Motorsports has a reserve driver on standby in case Bowman is unable to participate.
—Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for stand by
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stand by
Noun
-
Housed in the 1907 Westland Building, a former steam supply warehouse, the hotel anchors RailSpur, a placemaking initiative that connects three historic structures in Pioneer Square through alleys that draw in the public with the promise of art and cocktails.—
Leilani Marie Labong,
Travel + Leisure,
29 June 2025
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What To Know Trump sat down last week for an interview with Fox News anchor Maria Bartiromo that aired on Sunday Morning Futures.—
Peter Aitken,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 June 2025
Noun
-
Non-Alcoholic Summer Celebrations Beverages are the backbone of many summer gatherings.—
Sarah Perez,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
-
Oil wells, refineries, pipelines and shipping lanes are the backbone of energy markets.—
Skip York,
The Conversation,
27 June 2025
Noun
-
Meat-cutting has been a mainstay of the human skill set for over 2 million years.—
Jack Knudson,
Discover Magazine,
3 July 2025
-
Cool Japan has since become a mainstay of Japanese state policy.—
Waiyee Loh,
JSTOR Daily,
2 July 2025
Noun
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Yet the reliance on USD pegs comes with regulatory frictions and geopolitical exposure.—
Sean Lee,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
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Bannon, who has long opposed U.S. military involvement in Iran, questioned Trump's reliance on intelligence reportedly provided by Israel, rather than U.S. sources.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 June 2025
Verb
-
Thanks to the oceans on either side of us, the frozen wasteland to the north, and a gentle behemoth to the south, no one thought much about having to defend our borders.—
Stephen Marche,
The Atlantic,
1 July 2025
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The medium-to-long-range layer, David’s Sling, has replaced Patriot batteries supplied by the United States, defending against both aircraft, cruise missiles, and short-range ballistic missiles using a missile called Stunner.—
Sebastien Roblin,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
Noun
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Iranian hackers were charged last decade with several attempts to hack into banks and other pillars of the American economy.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
25 June 2025
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Trump has not addressed whether talks with Iranian officials would also address its missile program and support for terrorist proxies — an important pillar for Israel.—
Laura Kelly,
The Hill,
25 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stand by.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stand%20by. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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