STANDING OFF Synonyms: 22 Similar and Opposite Words

standing off

verb

present participle of stand off

as in holding off

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for standing off

Verb

The mansion was damaged during a Los Angeles-area coastal flooding advisory over lingering effects of Marie, which had been a hurricane before turning back into a tropical storm.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026
While her music has remained a fixture on country charts, the latest results show listeners are turning back to her catalog across formats and generations following her death.

— Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of turning back

Verb

This is not true; no technology or social evolution is inevitable, and even some young people are already turning away from them.

— New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 6 Sep. 2026
Almost half of traders, portfolio managers and strategists in a recent Bloomberg poll support wearing shorts to work, but men in Silicon Valley are turning away from the look of the scruffy tech genius in shorts and flip-flops.

— Brittney Melton, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of turning away

Verb

The dismissals varied but building a middle order capable of withstanding a spin barrage in helpful conditions is fundamental to England’s ambitions overseas.

— Ben Jones, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Consider that a durable laptop capable of withstanding an accidental drop might be worth extra money.

— BestReviews, Mercury News, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of withstanding

Verb

Imagine trying not to blink, resisting the urge to sneeze or refusing to scratch an intense itch.

— Michael Okun, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2026
The man is being held at the Chippewa County Jail and has been charged with operating under the influence of drugs, resisting and obstructing a police officer, assaulting a police officer and malicious destruction of police property.

— Paula Wethington, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of resisting

Verb

As polls show the public increasingly favoring guardrails for AI safety — and opposing data center buildouts — the White House is likely to face still more calls for an explanation of why a more transparent framework is not possible.

— Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 9 Sep. 2026
Having receiver Cam Coleman opposite Ryan Wingo puts opposing secondaries between a rock and a hard place, because double-teaming one can result in the other going off.

— The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of opposing

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.

Browse Nearby Words

standing in

standing off

standing on

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Standing off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/standing%20off. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of standing off

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

shofar

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes