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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of waits
Erin Qualey, Vulture, 29 May 2026
Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust’s portfolio.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 29 May 2026
In a traditional corporate venture capital arrangement, a company writes a check, takes a board seat, and waits — sometimes years — for a return.
—Serguei Netessine, Fortune, 28 May 2026
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
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
Eve Chen, USA Today, 31 May 2026
Unsurprisingly, sci-fi and fantasy titles that require considerable VFX work tend to be the shows that have the longest waits.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 27 May 2026
Overnight waits for emergency care The region's emergency rooms offer a stark glimpse of a healthcare system in crisis.
—Sarah Jane Tribble, NPR, 22 May 2026
All 23 are now, of course, on longer waits than Arsenal.
—Will Jeanes, New York Times, 20 May 2026
Others focused on the park-wide outage itself, with some guests sharing frustrations about long waits and ride shutdowns throughout the day.
—Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 19 May 2026
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
Verb
Dennis waits until Mallory leaves to go on a bike ride, and then attacks her on the path.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 29 May 2026
Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust’s portfolio.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 29 May 2026
In a traditional corporate venture capital arrangement, a company writes a check, takes a board seat, and waits — sometimes years — for a return.
—Serguei Netessine, Fortune, 28 May 2026
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
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
Visitors can make a free same-day reservation for shorter entry waits or wait in a typically longer standby line.
—Eve Chen, USA Today, 31 May 2026
Unsurprisingly, sci-fi and fantasy titles that require considerable VFX work tend to be the shows that have the longest waits.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 27 May 2026
Overnight waits for emergency care The region's emergency rooms offer a stark glimpse of a healthcare system in crisis.
—Sarah Jane Tribble, NPR, 22 May 2026
All 23 are now, of course, on longer waits than Arsenal.
—Will Jeanes, New York Times, 20 May 2026
Others focused on the park-wide outage itself, with some guests sharing frustrations about long waits and ride shutdowns throughout the day.
—Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 19 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waits
Verb
-
The film stays true to much of the original comic with the notable addition of Lobo, an interstellar bounty hunter, played by Jason Momoa.—
Hannah Abraham,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
-
Cinematographer Eric Yue stays close on his subjects, a handheld camera keeping us caught in their movements, queasy and intimate in equal measure.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
Emergency physicians do not control inpatient staffing, discharge bottlenecks, rehabilitation placement delays, or bed availability, yet emergency departments absorb the consequences when hospitals operate beyond capacity.—
Letters to the Editor,
Hartford Courant,
6 June 2026
-
Another project will cause intermittent traffic breaks near Boca during the day Tuesday through Thursday, causing motorists to undergo delays of up to 30 minutes.—
Corey Schmidt,
Sacbee.com,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
Former Mayor Harold Washington appears extensively — including a candid photo of Washington shaking hands with constituents while a young Obama lingers in the background.—
A.D. Quig,
Chicago Tribune,
4 June 2026
-
The woman lingers, asking about the food.—
Maddie Connors,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
With the Premier League chip off their back and a squad liberated from the fear of failure, the opportunity of further glory awaits the Gunners.—
Aleks Klosok,
CNN Money,
29 May 2026
-
According to the footage, what awaits Rhaenyra during her reign are fearful subjects, conniving enemies, sleepless nights and plenty of anguish.—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Pancreatic cancer remains one of the deadliest cancers, with few effective treatment options once the disease spreads.—
Luzdelia Caballero,
CBS News,
5 June 2026
-
Whether the rant has any immediate political implications for the lawmakers, especially in a midterm election year, remains to be seen.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
5 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Waits.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waits. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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