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
Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
Electric and natural gas companies are usually regulated by the state and can be told not to shut people off while the state waits to receive its share of the LIHEAP money, Wolfe said.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 2 Nov. 2025
Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust’s portfolio.
—CNBC, 31 Oct. 2025
At the ripe young age of 95, Buffett still waits for worthwhile investment opportunities.
—Steve Booren, Denver Post, 19 Oct. 2025
The film world was soon responding, as the world waits to see if the ceasefire holds.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 17 Oct. 2025
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
Hypnotized by the American Dream, Luke struggles to recognize the futility of a system that moves fast and waits for no one.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 5 Dec. 2024
Lori Zaino, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2025
Walz’s office said that could lead to longer waits for reimbursements.
—Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 29 Oct. 2025
First, summertime is by far the busiest season, and because everything is cooked fresh to order, waits can sometimes be long.
—Abby Price, Southern Living, 22 Oct. 2025
For Caribbean food, head to O’Niel Caribbean Kitchen, where treats like saltfish fritters or balchi fish balls are worth the inevitably long waits for a table.
—Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 20 Oct. 2025
While Rising waits to be served a burger and fries on a disposable plate, Brady Smigiel walks toward the quad.
—Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
For people who live in and around Tucson, flights with connections in Phoenix allow flyers access to what Sky Harbor has to offer without dealing with longer waits for check-in and security and enduring the metro area's traffic, said Austin Wright, spokesman for the Tucson Airport Authority.
—Michael Salerno, AZCentral.com, 14 Oct. 2025
The charity’s Adoptober campaign aims to encourage people to open their homes to long-stay animals, particularly large breeds like Ralph who often face longer waits for adoption.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
Because of the high volume of calls, Bauer said there have been long waits and some customers expressed frustration.
—Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
Helm waits around for the skies to clear.
—Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
Electric and natural gas companies are usually regulated by the state and can be told not to shut people off while the state waits to receive its share of the LIHEAP money, Wolfe said.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 2 Nov. 2025
Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust’s portfolio.
—CNBC, 31 Oct. 2025
At the ripe young age of 95, Buffett still waits for worthwhile investment opportunities.
—Steve Booren, Denver Post, 19 Oct. 2025
The film world was soon responding, as the world waits to see if the ceasefire holds.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 17 Oct. 2025
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
Hypnotized by the American Dream, Luke struggles to recognize the futility of a system that moves fast and waits for no one.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 5 Dec. 2024
Noun
Although crowding issues have improved since American Express restricted Centurion guest access, there are often still long waits.
—Lori Zaino, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2025
Walz’s office said that could lead to longer waits for reimbursements.
—Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 29 Oct. 2025
First, summertime is by far the busiest season, and because everything is cooked fresh to order, waits can sometimes be long.
—Abby Price, Southern Living, 22 Oct. 2025
For Caribbean food, head to O’Niel Caribbean Kitchen, where treats like saltfish fritters or balchi fish balls are worth the inevitably long waits for a table.
—Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 20 Oct. 2025
While Rising waits to be served a burger and fries on a disposable plate, Brady Smigiel walks toward the quad.
—Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
For people who live in and around Tucson, flights with connections in Phoenix allow flyers access to what Sky Harbor has to offer without dealing with longer waits for check-in and security and enduring the metro area's traffic, said Austin Wright, spokesman for the Tucson Airport Authority.
—Michael Salerno, AZCentral.com, 14 Oct. 2025
The charity’s Adoptober campaign aims to encourage people to open their homes to long-stay animals, particularly large breeds like Ralph who often face longer waits for adoption.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
Because of the high volume of calls, Bauer said there have been long waits and some customers expressed frustration.
—Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waits
Verb
-
Luca stays present in the moment.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Chesney stays grounded, grateful and faithful, in pursuit of the simple joys in life, living largely by the mantra of his memoir, .—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
On Friday evening, airports in Phoenix, Houston and San Diego were reporting delays because of staffing issues, and the Federal Aviation Administration warned that staffing problems were also possible at airports in the New York area, Dallas and Philadelphia.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Advertisement While the commercial supply of goods has improved since the cease-fire deal, the flow of humanitarian aid continues to be marred by bureaucracy, delays, and blockages.—
Anna Halford,
Time,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
There are occasional reminders that the Mafia lingers.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
-
The camera lingers for a few seconds on Miguel, in his new emotive state for the rest of his life, without Marta.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Each fall, a unique prize awaits in its Black Creek currents; the creek is one of only a handful of spots in the state where fly-fisherman can cast for rainbow trout.—
Jennifer Stewart Kornegay,
Southern Living,
4 Nov. 2025
-
The Israeli titles include Netalie Braun’s Oxygen, about a single mother who awaits her son’s army discharge, and Shai Carmeli-Pollak’s The Sea, which tells the story of a Palestinian boy who tries to reach the Mediterranean Sea for the first time in his life.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
For his part, Carney said his government remains ready to continue talks to reduce tariffs in certain sectors.—
Rob Gillies,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Affordability was a central concern for voters in the 2024 presidential contest and remains relevant in the run up to the 2026 midterms, especially among younger voters.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Waits.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waits. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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