as in delay
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of waiting
Ronald Lipman, Houston Chronicle, 5 May 2026
After filing, there is generally a one-week waiting period before benefits begin accruing.
—Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 5 May 2026
There's usually a 30-day waiting period for an NFIP policy to go into effect.
—Sarah Perkel, USA Today, 4 May 2026
Adams County Fire Rescue Firefighters extricated the patient and then used a rescue basket to bring the patient up to a waiting ambulance on I-76.
—Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 1 May 2026
Even if your stock was fragile, even if your game still needed polish, college basketball usually couldn’t offer enough financially to make waiting make sense.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 30 Apr. 2026
Osborne, Brandy Clark, Shane McAnally For some, songwriting is a waiting game.
—New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Institute a two-week waiting period, in which individuals can consider and bid on a home, before turning it over to the builder market.
—Chicago Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026
Many varieties grow up to 5 feet tall in a single year, filling in your landscape without a long waiting period.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 25 Apr. 2026
Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 May 2026
At the finish of the night, once the final notes have faded and the last bits of confetti have dropped, Eilish, now coming off less like a savior blessing her masses than just another young woman at the end of a tough but rewarding workday, hops into a waiting SUV.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 7 May 2026
When the choice is between waiting longer and getting in quickly, most people pick speed.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2026
Why are Americans waiting for the federal government to change local and regional habits to meet the challenges of climate change?
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
The 76ers weren’t absorbing punches and waiting to be buried.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 7 May 2026
If the results hold, the messy science of mixing five metals might just be the clean solution the world’s energy grid has been waiting for.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 7 May 2026
But most of that money has yet to be released, waiting for various agency reviews and approvals.
—Susanne Rust
follow, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
Drivers have been patiently and impatiently waiting to race again.
—Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 30 Apr. 2026
Noun
However, the law does not impose a two-year waiting period.
—Ronald Lipman, Houston Chronicle, 5 May 2026
After filing, there is generally a one-week waiting period before benefits begin accruing.
—Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 5 May 2026
There's usually a 30-day waiting period for an NFIP policy to go into effect.
—Sarah Perkel, USA Today, 4 May 2026
Adams County Fire Rescue Firefighters extricated the patient and then used a rescue basket to bring the patient up to a waiting ambulance on I-76.
—Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 1 May 2026
Even if your stock was fragile, even if your game still needed polish, college basketball usually couldn’t offer enough financially to make waiting make sense.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 30 Apr. 2026
Osborne, Brandy Clark, Shane McAnally For some, songwriting is a waiting game.
—New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Institute a two-week waiting period, in which individuals can consider and bid on a home, before turning it over to the builder market.
—Chicago Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026
Many varieties grow up to 5 feet tall in a single year, filling in your landscape without a long waiting period.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
Many of his later programs have been capped by a coda in which the tricks of the trade are laid bare—no trick being more vital than that of extreme patience, with camera operators waiting days, or even weeks, for the right cub, or pup, or fledgling, or froglet, to show up.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 May 2026
At the finish of the night, once the final notes have faded and the last bits of confetti have dropped, Eilish, now coming off less like a savior blessing her masses than just another young woman at the end of a tough but rewarding workday, hops into a waiting SUV.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 7 May 2026
When the choice is between waiting longer and getting in quickly, most people pick speed.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2026
Why are Americans waiting for the federal government to change local and regional habits to meet the challenges of climate change?
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
The 76ers weren’t absorbing punches and waiting to be buried.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 7 May 2026
If the results hold, the messy science of mixing five metals might just be the clean solution the world’s energy grid has been waiting for.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 7 May 2026
But most of that money has yet to be released, waiting for various agency reviews and approvals.
—Susanne Rust
follow, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
Drivers have been patiently and impatiently waiting to race again.
—Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 30 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waiting
Noun
-
Heidi Vonblum, the city’s planning director, said the delay will allow the city to help neighborhoods that have suffered from past city zoning practices, including zoning based on race or ethnicity.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 May 2026
-
Gas prices, which tend to follow moves in oil with a delay, were slightly higher on May 7.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Avoiding injury, staying physically active, managing your weight, and quitting nicotine all support knee health.—
Abby Norman,
Verywell Health,
4 May 2026
-
Boost your circadian rhythm by getting morning sunlight, staying active during the day to feel physically tired and giving up afternoon coffee to promote deeper, restorative sleep.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
See, procrastination does pay sometimes!—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
22 Apr. 2026
-
After battling burnout, persistent procrastination or social weariness for years, professionals are beginning to wonder if laziness was ever the cause.—
Malana VanTyler,
Sacbee.com,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Three more defendants are awaiting extradition to San Diego.—
Caleb Lunetta,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
-
Anthony Kazmierczak, 55, is awaiting sentencing.—
Tim Sullivan,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
From Bugenhagen’s perspective, these patterns contribute to hesitation and uncertainty, particularly for individuals seeking long-term relationships, as the process becomes less about connection and more about verification.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
6 May 2026
-
Neighbors concerned homes will ‘dominate’ district Homeowners around the Whitewater lot had their own hesitations about the plan.—
Mark Dee
May 6,
Idaho Statesman,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
While coverage is expected to be more scattered, isolated strong to severe storms could still produce hail and gusty winds, particularly where daytime heating and lingering boundaries overlap.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The two men dined at a table alone, lingering long after all other diners had dispersed.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Melton channels that indecision into a physicality that feels like a child being told to sit still and smiles that increasingly don’t reach his eyes.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The California governor’s race remains characterized by chaos and low voter engagement despite significant scandals and drama, with widespread indecision affecting both parties as election day approaches less than 50 days away.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The village will hold on to the remaining 60%, and whoever buys the home will receive property tax breaks for 10 years.—
Olivia Stevens,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The canoe area lies in the national forest just downstream from the mine site, raising concerns that digging could create pollution that would contaminate one of the nation’s last remaining wild areas.—
Todd Richmond,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Waiting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waiting. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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