Synonyms of stays

stays 1 of 4

verb (1)

present tense third-person singular of stay

1

as in remains

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

• remains
• waits
• dwells
• hangs around
• sticks around
• abides
• lingers
• tarries
• awaits
• hangs on
• holds on
• loiters
• dawdles
• overstays
• outstays
• dallies

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• goes
• leaves
• moves
• exits
• departs
• gets off
• goes off
• walks out
• pulls out
• takes off
• quits
• cuts out
• peels off
• escapes
• packs (up or off)
• shoves (off)
• pushes off
• pushes on
• bails
• bails out
• clears out
• buzzes (off)
• skips
• clears off
• flies
• flees
• gets out
• runs away
• evacuates
• absconds
• books
• vacates
• bugs out
• abandons
• pikes (out or off)
• scats
• vamooses
• forsakes
• decamps
• deserts
• scrams

2

as in stops

to bring (something) to a standstill

stay the trial until this new evidence has been processed

Synonyms & Similar Words

• stops
• halts
• catches
• stalls
• blocks
• checks
• arrests
• holds
• pulls up
• hinders
• draws up
• brings up
• suspends
• stills
• ends
• holds up
• impedes
• obstructs
• stems
• concludes
• fetches up
• holds back
• snags
• terminates
• balks
• detains
• cuts off
• clogs
• baffles
• turns back
• discontinues
• suppresses
• dams
• reins (in)
• calls
• represses
• squashes
• blockades
• bottlenecks
• squelches
• chokes off
• stunts
• stanches

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• continues
• persists
• keeps (on)
• runs on
• keeps up
• moves
• carries on
• progresses
• proceeds
• fares
• follows through (with)
• advances
• marches
• goes along
• pushes
• drives
• stirs
• propels
• spurs
• wends
• actuates
• impels
• goads
• budges

3

as in waits

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

• waits
• remains
• lingers
• awaits
• sits tight
• holds on
• bides
• bides one's time
• cools one's heels
• holds one's breath
• hangs around
• sticks around
• stands by
• expects
• anticipates
• tarries
• watches (for)

4

as in visits

to reside as a temporary guest

let's stay at a quaint inn rather than at some generic motel

Synonyms & Similar Words

• visits
• haunts
• sojourns
• occupies
• crashes
• comes over
• tarries
• runs in
• stops (by)
• inhabits
• frequents
• drops in
• drops by
• comes by
• hangs (around or out)
• steps in

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• lives
• resides
• dwells
• abides

stays

2 of 4

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of stay

as in sustains

to hold up or serve as a foundation for

beams being used to stay the bridge while it is undergoing repairs

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sustains
• carries
• supports
• bolsters
• upholds
• shores (up)
• underpins
• bears
• undergirds
• braces
• buttresses
• steadies
• underlies
• props (up)
• trusses

stays

3 of 4

noun (1)

plural of stay

1

as in sojourns

a temporary residing as another's guest

my mother-in-law is coming for a brief stay next week

Synonyms & Similar Words

• visits
• sojourns
• tarries
• field trips
• sleepovers
• stops
• stopovers
• homestays
• layovers

2

as in halts

the stopping of a process or activity

we must work without stay if we are ever to reach our goal of equal rights for everyone

Synonyms & Similar Words

• halts
• ends
• cessations
• endings
• closes
• stops
• ceases
• finishes
• conclusions
• closures
• shutdowns
• offsets
• lapses
• arrests
• stoppages
• checks
• expirations
• terminations
• discontinuances
• closedowns
• cutoffs
• discontinuations
• pauses
• shutoffs
• arrestments
• surceases
• suspensions
• breaks
• interruptions
• phaseouts
• mop-ups
• standstills
• moratoriums
• layoffs
• abeyances
• letups

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• continuations
• continuances
• extensions
• prolongations
• persistences

stays

4 of 4

noun (2)

plural of stay

as in supports

a structure that holds up or serves as a foundation for something else

a free press is one of the principal stays of a democratic society

Synonyms & Similar Words

• supports
• shores
• mounts
• reinforcements
• braces
• pillars
• spurs
• mountings
• props
• foundations
• stands
• underpinnings
• buttresses
• columns
• brackets
• shorings
• arches
• crutches
• trusses
• bolsters
• bearings
• pedestals
• frames
• stakes
• pilasters
• cantilevers
• pegs
• struts
• bases
• stilts
• girders
• posts
• stanchions

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of stays

Verb

An Exhibit 10 pays $91,000 if a player is waived, as most are, signs with a franchise’s G League team and then stays for at least 60 days. — Cj Moore, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Every day a role stays open means lost productivity and revenue, lower team morale and ongoing recruitment costs. — Audrey Payne, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026

But the thing that stays consistent is to get a film made, to get a series made, to get an immersive project off the ground, the business side of things needs to happen. — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2026

Even his rawest dishes aren’t quite untouched—one recent lettuce dish stays raw but is brined to alter its cellular structure and concentrate its flavor. — Joel Hart, Vogue, 11 Sep. 2026

Viewers will have the final say as to whether the DWTS franchise stays red hot, but so far ABC seems to be making all the right moves. — Josef Adalian, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2026

The best vacation dress is one that’s seamless to dress up or down, and ideally stays wrinkle-free in your suitcase. — Kristine Thomason, Travel + Leisure, 10 Sep. 2026

Beyond representing clients, Sharp stays active in the legal community through leadership roles and legal writing. — Matt Emma, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026

If the error rate stays the same, investigation volume climbs right alongside deployment frequency. — Sanjay Gidwani, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2026

Noun

While nearly every Florida county has some form of a tax on hotel stays — totaling more than $1 billion statewide — the largest pool is in Orange County, where millions visit for theme park vacations and business conventions annually. — Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026

Book by the end of November for stays from September 10 through December 20, using promo code S5235. — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Sep. 2026

Sheriff’s officials cautioned, however, that even hikers taking that route needed to prepare for unexpected trouble, including injuries and unplanned overnight stays. — Darrell Smith, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026

The number of people settling down for longer-term stays, including work and study, also hit an all-time high last year, likely due to the reliable safety and convenient infrastructure the world’s fourth-largest economy has to offer. — Christine Miyawaki, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026

Halting overnight stays at the park because of a lack of water is rare, although the pipeline frequently has failed over the years. — ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026

How to Book Miraval Arizona is part of the World of Hyatt loyalty program, allowing members to earn and redeem points for stays. — Jessica Ritz, Travel + Leisure, 30 Aug. 2026

Her longest stays are in Los Angeles, New York City, Amsterdam, London, and Barcelona. — Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 28 Aug. 2026

Meanwhile, jail stays are booming, especially in rural and suburban places. — Ella Siegrist, The Conversation, 28 Aug. 2026