as in staying
to remain in place in readiness or expectation of something
please wait here, and we'll seat you shortly
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as in delay
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Recent Examples of waiting
Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 18 Oct. 2025
Kaine, a longtime proponent of Congress' powers to declare war, filed the resolution late Thursday, a move that will force the Senate to take up the legislation after a 10-day waiting period.
—Claudia Grisales, NPR, 17 Oct. 2025
With further clinical validation and regulatory approval, this technology could soon make waiting days or weeks for a permanent crown a thing of the past.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2025
The waiting game for an extension from the Miami Heat appears likely to extend into next offseason for guard Tyler Herro.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2025
Grijalva trapped in the waiting place Press conferences are not the only recurring agenda item on Capitol Hill amid the government shutdown.
—Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 16 Oct. 2025
Vendors arrived selling popcorn and cold bottles of Coca-Cola in buckets of ice to the waiting crowd.
—Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
Authorities said the hiker, who had hypothermia, was hoisted from his location and taken to a waiting ambulance before being transported to a hospital in stable condition.
—David Chiu, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025
Suzie Smith’s body was flown Sunday from Sacramento to Red Bluff where a waiting procession took her the final miles to Palo Cedro.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2025
The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 19 Oct. 2025
Look at how McKelway seductively unspooled the facts, waiting, like a poker player, until the last moment to reveal his ace.
—David Grann, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2025
The crowd in Santa Fe is a fun mix of old (opera) hats and first time attendees, and the crowd was engaged throughout the performance, clapping after a lot of the major numbers ended in a break from the tradition of waiting until the end of each act.
—Zach Wichter, USA Today, 19 Oct. 2025
Brian, 40, and Sara, 37, returned to the scene while police were waiting for South Walton Fire District (SWFD) personnel to arrive, the WCSO said.
—Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 19 Oct. 2025
The team has been waiting for nearly five hours past the departure time.
—Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
Concertgoers ranged from families with young kids, playing around the Brookside grounds waiting for the main act to take the stage, to Gen Z and millennials to older fans.
—Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2025
One of those, in the first quarter, was on Jaylen Waddle, who dropped a pass into the waiting arms of Chargers safety Tony Jefferson.
—Daniel Popper, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
To the press and the waiting world, all tears.
—Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2025
Verb
Nevertheless, waiting and extra mulch insulation can help turn your earthy end-of-season snacks into mild, sweet, and savory treats if only light freezes persist.
—Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 18 Oct. 2025
Kaine, a longtime proponent of Congress' powers to declare war, filed the resolution late Thursday, a move that will force the Senate to take up the legislation after a 10-day waiting period.
—Claudia Grisales, NPR, 17 Oct. 2025
With further clinical validation and regulatory approval, this technology could soon make waiting days or weeks for a permanent crown a thing of the past.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2025
The waiting game for an extension from the Miami Heat appears likely to extend into next offseason for guard Tyler Herro.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2025
Grijalva trapped in the waiting place Press conferences are not the only recurring agenda item on Capitol Hill amid the government shutdown.
—Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 16 Oct. 2025
Vendors arrived selling popcorn and cold bottles of Coca-Cola in buckets of ice to the waiting crowd.
—Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
Authorities said the hiker, who had hypothermia, was hoisted from his location and taken to a waiting ambulance before being transported to a hospital in stable condition.
—David Chiu, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025
Suzie Smith’s body was flown Sunday from Sacramento to Red Bluff where a waiting procession took her the final miles to Palo Cedro.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
The first proposal almost certainly would have been defeated in the courts, while the other sounds like a fiscal disaster waiting to happen.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 19 Oct. 2025
Look at how McKelway seductively unspooled the facts, waiting, like a poker player, until the last moment to reveal his ace.
—David Grann, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2025
The crowd in Santa Fe is a fun mix of old (opera) hats and first time attendees, and the crowd was engaged throughout the performance, clapping after a lot of the major numbers ended in a break from the tradition of waiting until the end of each act.
—Zach Wichter, USA Today, 19 Oct. 2025
Brian, 40, and Sara, 37, returned to the scene while police were waiting for South Walton Fire District (SWFD) personnel to arrive, the WCSO said.
—Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 19 Oct. 2025
The team has been waiting for nearly five hours past the departure time.
—Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
Concertgoers ranged from families with young kids, playing around the Brookside grounds waiting for the main act to take the stage, to Gen Z and millennials to older fans.
—Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2025
One of those, in the first quarter, was on Jaylen Waddle, who dropped a pass into the waiting arms of Chargers safety Tony Jefferson.
—Daniel Popper, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
To the press and the waiting world, all tears.
—Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waiting
Verb
-
Ideally, Amorim wants his centre-backs to be aggressive in winning possession but perhaps, as against Slot, there is merit in defying the expectations of a rival manager, and instead staying compact in a low block.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
-
The culinary star reflected on the key to staying married for 20 years.—
Erin Clements,
PEOPLE,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Some firms have scurried to ship early, but even a few days’ delay at sea could blow up their margins.—
Veronique De Rugy,
Oc Register,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Amex travel protections vary by card type, but prominent features include trip delay and cancellation insurance, baggage protection, global assistance hotlines, and car rental loss coverage.—
Ben Kelly,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
CharlotteFive reached out to Aura Rooftop for comment Tuesday and was awaiting a response.—
Tanasia Kenney,
Charlotte Observer,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Her son Paul had been awaiting trial at the time of his murder after pleading not guilty to three felony counts of boating under the influence following the death of 19-year-old Mallory Beach.—
Julia Moore,
PEOPLE,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Having a place for your essentials (and having every essential in its place) can be the difference between a productive workday and a day of procrastination.—
Kristi Kellogg,
Architectural Digest,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Thriving amid this tumult requires embracing the cycle of struggle and rebirth; redefining your identity around core strengths and not titles, and setting goals that leave no room for procrastination.—
Maggie McGrath,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Chad Molter, executive director of Boulder’s Harvest of Hope Pantry, is also worried about how the lingering government shutdown could surge demand.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
Denver Post,
16 Oct. 2025
-
After seeing consistent playing time following his February 2024 trade from Memphis and hitting a clutch 3-pointer to help Boston win Game 3 of the 2024 NBA Finals against Dallas, Tillman tumbled down the depth chart in 2024-25, the result of poor shooting and lingering knee issues.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Del Toro’s explanation for this paradox revealed to Isaac that Victor Frankenstein operates without doubt or hesitation—until his catastrophic moment of reckoning.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Tariffs appear to have stabilized, and while brands remain aware of global uncertainties, there’s a clear shift toward action, not hesitation.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
With exactly 11 minutes remaining, Walker dumped a screen pass off to O’Brien.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Such is life with Damian Lillard gone and with a slew of unproven guards remaining.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Every month of indecision narrowed his window for successfully transitioning.—
Harvard Business Review,
Harvard Business Review,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Simple can be better for those of us who struggle with indecision or prefer a minimalist aesthetic.—
Architectural Digest,
Architectural Digest,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Waiting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waiting. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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