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
Todd Spangler, Variety, 10 June 2026
The courtrooms are located on the top floors of a building that has other offices, and there's minimal signage and waiting areas.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 10 June 2026
Today, the experiment can be watched online, turning one of the slowest events in science into a kind of global waiting game.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 9 June 2026
David Fried, owner of Elmore Roots Fruit Tree Nursery, says bare-root tart cherry trees typically flower and produce fruit within their first or second year, significantly reducing the waiting time for gardeners.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 9 June 2026
There’s more than a grand waiting for you.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 8 June 2026
For many of the Knicks fans who attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Monday night, buying tickets was a waiting game.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 8 June 2026
Or at least, there’s no waiting for a response.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 8 June 2026
By the end of 2025 — after years of waiting, worrying and hoping — Kizzy gave birth to a baby boy.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 7 June 2026
Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 5 June 2026
Congress could also intervene, Budington said, by passing legislation that allows a private right of action after data breaches, allowing victims to pursue cases directly instead of relying on state laws or waiting for state attorneys general to take up a case.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 4 June 2026
The 40-plus-mile circle route covers 4 days of walking with gourmet breakfasts and new routes daily, ending back at the starting inn where your car is waiting.
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2026
By evening, a clean room, hot shower and hearty meal are waiting.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 4 June 2026
For four years, Lockport residents Ray and Shelly Romolt have stared out their window at an empty lot, waiting for the day developers would transform it into a home for new neighbors.
—Audrey Pachuta, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2026
In 2023, a Brazilian university student died while waiting for a brutally hot concert by the pop star.
—Rebecca Hersher, NPR, 4 June 2026
The ongoing crisis in the Strait of Hormuz has created uncertainty for hundreds of ships and around 20,000 seafarers waiting for news of an agreement to reopen the crucial shipping corridor.
—Kyla Guilfoil, NBC news, 29 May 2026
Unfortunately, children who have not been able to access this in a clinical trial have continued to suffer losses while waiting for access and approval.
—Elise Esposito, Boston Herald, 29 May 2026
Noun
Separately on Wednesday, Paramount said in an SEC filing that on June 9, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) approved the Paramount-WBD merger may be consummated, subject to expiration of a 14-calendar day waiting period that expires June 23, 2026.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 10 June 2026
The courtrooms are located on the top floors of a building that has other offices, and there's minimal signage and waiting areas.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 10 June 2026
Today, the experiment can be watched online, turning one of the slowest events in science into a kind of global waiting game.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 9 June 2026
David Fried, owner of Elmore Roots Fruit Tree Nursery, says bare-root tart cherry trees typically flower and produce fruit within their first or second year, significantly reducing the waiting time for gardeners.
—Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 9 June 2026
There’s more than a grand waiting for you.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 8 June 2026
For many of the Knicks fans who attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Monday night, buying tickets was a waiting game.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 8 June 2026
Or at least, there’s no waiting for a response.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 8 June 2026
By the end of 2025 — after years of waiting, worrying and hoping — Kizzy gave birth to a baby boy.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 7 June 2026
Verb
The House's effort to circumvent leadership on support for Ukraine comes as bipartisan legislation in the Senate to impose new economic sanctions on Russia has languished for more than a year, with senators waiting for a green light from the White House.
—Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 5 June 2026
Congress could also intervene, Budington said, by passing legislation that allows a private right of action after data breaches, allowing victims to pursue cases directly instead of relying on state laws or waiting for state attorneys general to take up a case.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 4 June 2026
The 40-plus-mile circle route covers 4 days of walking with gourmet breakfasts and new routes daily, ending back at the starting inn where your car is waiting.
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2026
By evening, a clean room, hot shower and hearty meal are waiting.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 4 June 2026
For four years, Lockport residents Ray and Shelly Romolt have stared out their window at an empty lot, waiting for the day developers would transform it into a home for new neighbors.
—Audrey Pachuta, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2026
In 2023, a Brazilian university student died while waiting for a brutally hot concert by the pop star.
—Rebecca Hersher, NPR, 4 June 2026
The ongoing crisis in the Strait of Hormuz has created uncertainty for hundreds of ships and around 20,000 seafarers waiting for news of an agreement to reopen the crucial shipping corridor.
—Kyla Guilfoil, NBC news, 29 May 2026
Unfortunately, children who have not been able to access this in a clinical trial have continued to suffer losses while waiting for access and approval.
—Elise Esposito, Boston Herald, 29 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waiting
Noun
-
Sanfilippo is a fatal pediatric neurodegenerative disorder, with each delay in treatment equaling permanent neurological decline.—
Elise Esposito,
Boston Herald,
29 May 2026
-
Artemis program Due to the Mark 1 issues outlined above, there will either be significant delays to, or the need to restructure the early phases of, the Moon Base program.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
The goal is to keep muscles working continuously while the machine adjusts resistance and movement by staying within the lines of the digital graph above you.—
Derek James,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
-
Lena, working for Kate, is staying at a villa belonging to a senior member of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, masquerading as his son’s nanny.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
The low-pressure gatherings taking place in coffee shops, accommodating bars and private homes are intended to turn tedious and procrastination-inducing adult responsibilities into productive time with a twist.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 June 2026
-
Read the Bee’s full guide to Election Day procrastination here.—
Camryn Dadey,
Sacbee.com,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Three others died on death row; one of them after the state agreed not to try to execute him a second time, and one of them is still alive and awaiting his fate.—
Austin Sarat,
The Conversation,
4 June 2026
-
The other two have been tried and are awaiting a verdict.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
His party was in denial, and the hesitation cost them the general election.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
3 June 2026
-
Aside from his hesitations over the SNL cue cards, Holland has not shied away from live performance itself.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
The one question lingering after the Garrett trade was whether or not his addition would lure Rams great Aaron Donald, 35, out of retirement for one last ride.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
9 June 2026
-
Psychologists have long been interested in why some slights refuse to fade, and how those lingering injuries can settle in — reshaping a person’s thoughts, mood and sense of self over time.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
But with all the indecision of this primary election, many were finding comfort in delivering their votes in person.—
John Ramos,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
-
This can look like instability or indecision from the outside.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
The scarcity of remaining tickets for those matches indicates that Kansas City should expect strong attendance throughout the World Cup, even if some matches fall a tiny bit short of a sellout.—
Kellis Robinett,
Kansas City Star,
9 June 2026
-
The ballot listing for the remaining candidates would be alphabetical, said Matthew Clyburn, a spokesman for the Secretary of the State’s office, which oversees elections.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Waiting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waiting. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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