1
as in remained
to continue to be in a place for a significant amount of time
let's stay inside this pavilion until it stops raining
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stopped
to bring (something) to a standstill
stay the trial until this new evidence has been processed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in waited
to remain in place in readiness or expectation of something
we'll stay for a while longer and see if anyone shows up
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in visited
to reside as a temporary guest
let's stay at a quaint inn rather than at some generic motel
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in sustained
to hold up or serve as a foundation for
beams being used to stay the bridge while it is undergoing repairs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stayed
Dan Pompei, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Police said a 30-year-old Meridian man exited the vehicle and walked away from the location, while the driver stayed and cooperated with officers.
—Rose Evans, Idaho Statesman, 7 Jan. 2026
The game stayed close throughout the fourth quarter.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 7 Jan. 2026
If renters stayed for years and years, that might have been due to their atypically generous landlords.
—Will Ellis, Curbed, 6 Jan. 2026
How DarkSpectre stayed hidden for years DarkSpectre succeeded by blending legitimate functionality with hidden malware.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 6 Jan. 2026
Astoria had changed a lot but also stayed the same.
—Naaman Zhou, New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2026
Rodríguez's character Will has had romantic relationships, but the actor has stayed mostly tight-lipped about his dating life off-screen.
—Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
Judge Thomas Gilligan stayed an 8½-year prison term for five years, during which time Junior will be on supervised probation.
—Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 6 Jan. 2026
Verb
Allen stops by McDermott’s house now and then and has stayed for dinner.
—Dan Pompei, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Police said a 30-year-old Meridian man exited the vehicle and walked away from the location, while the driver stayed and cooperated with officers.
—Rose Evans, Idaho Statesman, 7 Jan. 2026
The game stayed close throughout the fourth quarter.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 7 Jan. 2026
If renters stayed for years and years, that might have been due to their atypically generous landlords.
—Will Ellis, Curbed, 6 Jan. 2026
How DarkSpectre stayed hidden for years DarkSpectre succeeded by blending legitimate functionality with hidden malware.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 6 Jan. 2026
Astoria had changed a lot but also stayed the same.
—Naaman Zhou, New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2026
Rodríguez's character Will has had romantic relationships, but the actor has stayed mostly tight-lipped about his dating life off-screen.
—Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
Judge Thomas Gilligan stayed an 8½-year prison term for five years, during which time Junior will be on supervised probation.
—Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stayed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stayed. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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