as in stays
to remain in place in readiness or expectation of something
please wait here, and we'll seat you shortly
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in delays
an instance or period of being prevented from going about one's business
there was a long wait for the manager to come and help us
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of waits
Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 15 May 2026
Outside Lost Girls Vintage on Chicago’s Division Street, a trolley waits to shuttle shoppers between independent vintage stores across the city.
—Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 15 May 2026
Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust’s portfolio.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 15 May 2026
Boeing is already struggling with delays on MAX and 787 deliveries due respectively to wiring problems, and waits for business-class seats.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 14 May 2026
Stocks fell from their records Thursday after oil prices yo-yoed as Wall Street waits to see whether its hopes for a deal to end the Iran war are warranted or just wishful.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
When developing new menu items, the team waits 45 minutes before tasting them to mimic realistic delivery times.
—Kate Kassin, Bon Appetit Magazine, 30 Apr. 2026
The world waits for a compelling example of humanoid robots saving a customer money in a defensible way.
—Jeff Mahler, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
Compiled annually by a group led by Franklin Leonard, a recipient of a Gotham tribute award this year, Variety waits with childlike anticipation each year to see which scripts film executives have really been buzzing over — but haven’t had the budget or the chutzpah to put into production just yet.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 10 Dec. 2024
Eva Flowe
may 12, Charlotte Observer, 12 May 2026
And while many potential riders who spoke with The Times this week echoed that enthusiasm, most also mentioned some reservations, including feeling cautious about potentially long waits at night or ongoing concerns about public safety.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
Bisignano promised to bring waits down to under ten minutes.
—E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 7 May 2026
Under Noem, lawmakers from both parties expressed frustration with long waits for assistance for disaster survivors, and for federal grant money to protect people across the country from floods, fires and storms.
—Lauren Sommer, NPR, 7 May 2026
These tools help fill a real gap left by physician shortages and long waits for specialist care.
—Sudheesha Perera, Time, 6 May 2026
In my world, the dirty plates should be cleared, but the actual washing of the dishes waits until everyone is finished.
—Judith Martin, Mercury News, 1 May 2026
Insurance coverage for mental illnesses further complicates the problem of consistent care because the number of visits to mental health professionals are usually limited, and there are often long waits to see providers.
—Jeffrey Freedman, Sun Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026
Trends have been bucked, decades-long waits have been ended.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
That is why the NBA waits until August, well after free agency, to release its schedule.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 15 May 2026
Outside Lost Girls Vintage on Chicago’s Division Street, a trolley waits to shuttle shoppers between independent vintage stores across the city.
—Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 15 May 2026
Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust’s portfolio.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 15 May 2026
Boeing is already struggling with delays on MAX and 787 deliveries due respectively to wiring problems, and waits for business-class seats.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 14 May 2026
Stocks fell from their records Thursday after oil prices yo-yoed as Wall Street waits to see whether its hopes for a deal to end the Iran war are warranted or just wishful.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
When developing new menu items, the team waits 45 minutes before tasting them to mimic realistic delivery times.
—Kate Kassin, Bon Appetit Magazine, 30 Apr. 2026
The world waits for a compelling example of humanoid robots saving a customer money in a defensible way.
—Jeff Mahler, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
Compiled annually by a group led by Franklin Leonard, a recipient of a Gotham tribute award this year, Variety waits with childlike anticipation each year to see which scripts film executives have really been buzzing over — but haven’t had the budget or the chutzpah to put into production just yet.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 10 Dec. 2024
Noun
The study examined more than 140,000 reviews from 147 DMVs across 30 major cities, the report says, looking for keywords related to long waits and bad service in reviews with three or fewer stars.
—Eva Flowe
may 12, Charlotte Observer, 12 May 2026
And while many potential riders who spoke with The Times this week echoed that enthusiasm, most also mentioned some reservations, including feeling cautious about potentially long waits at night or ongoing concerns about public safety.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
Bisignano promised to bring waits down to under ten minutes.
—E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 7 May 2026
Under Noem, lawmakers from both parties expressed frustration with long waits for assistance for disaster survivors, and for federal grant money to protect people across the country from floods, fires and storms.
—Lauren Sommer, NPR, 7 May 2026
These tools help fill a real gap left by physician shortages and long waits for specialist care.
—Sudheesha Perera, Time, 6 May 2026
In my world, the dirty plates should be cleared, but the actual washing of the dishes waits until everyone is finished.
—Judith Martin, Mercury News, 1 May 2026
Insurance coverage for mental illnesses further complicates the problem of consistent care because the number of visits to mental health professionals are usually limited, and there are often long waits to see providers.
—Jeffrey Freedman, Sun Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026
Trends have been bucked, decades-long waits have been ended.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waits
Verb
-
Travelers can book no-phone retreats across Bali, Montana, the Bahamas, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Canada and Costa Rica, with options ranging from silent meditation stays to ultra-remote wilderness resorts reachable only by floatplane.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
16 May 2026
-
This delightful herb-forward hummus stays fresh in the fridge up to 3 days.—
Shelly Westerhausen Worcel,
Midwest Living,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
The rest of the production had been much harder—particularly because, to his frustration, he’d been forced to film primarily in Atlanta rather than in Oakland, after a year of maddening delays led to the production losing its California tax rebate.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
-
And the bus agency will stage buses to handle potential overflow crowds or delays on the streetcar, among other improvements through the Kansas City Area Transit Authority (KCATA) during the World Cup.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
The filmmaker rarely lingers, making brief moments of grace — like Gabrielle peeking in at her mom and stepdad taking a nap — all the more resonant for their evanescence.—
Jon Frosch,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
-
Warmer and more humid weather moves in on Friday and lingers through the weekend.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Senate Bill 26-189, which passed the Colorado Senate in a 34-1 concurrence vote following House amendments, now awaits Governor Jared Polis’ action.—
Alonzo Martinez,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
As the state awaits federal reimbursement for the project, one environmental organization suing to close the facility claims the state sought far more federal money than previously disclosed.—
Ivan Taylor,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
What Hilton is right about California’s population is highly concentrated, while much of the state’s land remains rural or undeveloped.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
-
Burrow has dealt with injuries throughout his career but remains one of the premier talents at the position when healthy.—
Saad Yousuf,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Waits.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waits. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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