as in kept (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 stood by
When his first film, 2009’s low-budget Daddy Longlegs, was playing at a single theater in New York, Safdie stood by the entrance wearing a sandwich board, one that loudly proclaimed THIS MOVIE EXISTS!
—
David Sims, The Atlantic, 9 Oct. 2025
Richard and Catherine split up because Richard’s angry that Catherine stood by and let Bailey fire him.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2025
Jones took a couple of steps toward the dashing Lawrence and then stood by and watched him score.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025
The federal inspectors stood by their report and findings in a 2019 letter to Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren.
—Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2025
On April 13, 2025, Stoll stood by the 18th green to watch McIlroy secure a victory over Justin Rose.
—Effie Orfanides, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2025
After the Journal Sentinel report was published, Berrien blasted the reporting and stood by his campaign.
—Jessie Opoien, jsonline.com, 26 Sep. 2025
However, a handful of schools and colleges stood by their employees' right to freedom of speech while under pressure from right-wing politicians and personalities.
—Cate Charron, IndyStar, 25 Sep. 2025
Others stood by with empty bags and some appeared unsure where to go, getting turned around as their fellow suspects rushed to get to different displays.
—Doha Madani, NBC news, 25 Sep. 2025
David Sims, The Atlantic, 9 Oct. 2025
Richard and Catherine split up because Richard’s angry that Catherine stood by and let Bailey fire him.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2025
Jones took a couple of steps toward the dashing Lawrence and then stood by and watched him score.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025
The federal inspectors stood by their report and findings in a 2019 letter to Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren.
—Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2025
On April 13, 2025, Stoll stood by the 18th green to watch McIlroy secure a victory over Justin Rose.
—Effie Orfanides, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2025
After the Journal Sentinel report was published, Berrien blasted the reporting and stood by his campaign.
—Jessie Opoien, jsonline.com, 26 Sep. 2025
However, a handful of schools and colleges stood by their employees' right to freedom of speech while under pressure from right-wing politicians and personalities.
—Cate Charron, IndyStar, 25 Sep. 2025
Others stood by with empty bags and some appeared unsure where to go, getting turned around as their fellow suspects rushed to get to different displays.
—Doha Madani, NBC news, 25 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stood by
defended
Verb
-
The late actress also linked to the interview in the post, in which Allen defended himself against Dylan and Mia’s accusations.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
-
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fraternal Order of Police, usually a critic of the leadership at the sheriff’s office, defended that agency and the district attorney’s office in a statement Friday.—
Ryan Oehrli,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stood by.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stood%20by. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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