as in keeps (to)
to give steadfast support to
no matter how much people object, I will stand by my decision
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Recent Examples of stands by
Dickinson was surprised to hear it multiple times, but stands by the sentiment.
—
Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 29 Apr. 2026
Her very reliable and efficient assistant Eunice (Seoyeon Jang) stands by her side but curries the jealous attention of unstable Ashley.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
Walter stands by his pledge, Dodgers president Stan Kasten said.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Daisy stands by, literally helpless.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 3 Feb. 2026
Associate commerce director Lori Keong stands by the notion that jewelry is a disappointment-proof gift.
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 21 Jan. 2026
And amazingly, LaFleur stands by his decision to kick a field to this day.
—Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 18 Jan. 2026
The entire institution stands by those freedoms and our work.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 14 Jan. 2026
In the background, a man stands by, carrying tissues for Itsaragrisil.
—Staff Author, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 29 Apr. 2026
Her very reliable and efficient assistant Eunice (Seoyeon Jang) stands by her side but curries the jealous attention of unstable Ashley.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
Walter stands by his pledge, Dodgers president Stan Kasten said.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Daisy stands by, literally helpless.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 3 Feb. 2026
Associate commerce director Lori Keong stands by the notion that jewelry is a disappointment-proof gift.
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 21 Jan. 2026
And amazingly, LaFleur stands by his decision to kick a field to this day.
—Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 18 Jan. 2026
The entire institution stands by those freedoms and our work.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 14 Jan. 2026
In the background, a man stands by, carrying tissues for Itsaragrisil.
—Staff Author, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stands by
defends
Verb
-
Founded in 1922, PEN America is a writers’ and free-expression advocacy group that defends the rights of authors and opposes censorship.—
Grace Gilson,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The Economist defends its policy of not using bylines as tradition, citing the fact many of their articles are the product of collaborations between writers and taking the Ochsian view that what is written is more important than who writes it.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stands by.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stands%20by. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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