WAITS Synonyms: 38 Similar and Opposite Words

waits 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of wait

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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waits

2 of 2

noun

plural of wait

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 show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of waits

Verb

The federal agency normally waits until all of the yearly data is reported to suggest a drop in crime. — ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026 Under a communications blackout, a rover team that waits for its commands from Earth has to stop. — Wanjiku Chebet Kanjumba, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2026 And then there is a producer fearless enough to cross the minefield, knowing that on the far side waits a festival circuit slightly fatigued by war stories from Ukraine. — Sonya Vseliubska, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2026 Most meetings run on the host’s agenda while the client waits to be heard. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 But long waits to enter the stadium — delays that stemmed from operational failures rather than genuine demand — frustrated the same fans who had willingly queued for tickets weeks earlier. — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 31 July 2026 The Albatross sits less than a five-minute walk to the sand, but for guests who don’t feel like carrying their gear, a cute hunter-green buggy waits right out front. — Adam Erace, Travel + Leisure, 30 July 2026 Nick excitedly waits for him at the train station, and takes him to meet his new friends. — Barry Levitt, Time, 17 July 2026 With a catheter inserted into a vein, intravenous tubing fitted and a syringe pump loaded and primed, the subject waits as the bed retracts until his brain is centered within the great coils of an MRI machine calibrated to map altered brain states. — Charles Moss, SPIN, 16 July 2026

Noun

Those at higher risk for longer waits included patients who were uninsured or on Medicaid, Black (compared with white), lower-income, and had a longer travel distance to a treatment center. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 13 Aug. 2026 Hourslong waits were not uncommon at gas stations as not every station had power. — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026 When video visitation is run well, visitors may appreciate avoiding security screenings, long waits and the harsh correctional environment. — Jillian Turanovic, The Conversation, 10 Aug. 2026 The rail crossings at Lyndale Avenue North, 45th Avenue North and Humboldt Avenue North are known for long waits as trains run in and out of the rail yard. — Ashley Grams, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026 Developers often face long waits for new grid connections, creating demand for power systems that can operate independently. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Aug. 2026 Favorite examples include installing mirrors in elevators and enticing customers to tolerate waits with the promise of free goods or services. — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 31 July 2026 There's often a line forming at Tony's even before opening, with waits for a table typically lasting at least an hour. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 July 2026 The open question is whether cyber safety engineering follows the historical pattern and waits for a disaster, or whether the profession moves first. — Heather Wishart-Smith, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for waits

Verb

There is no world in which everyone stays and expensive marquee signings join.

— Kaya Kaynak, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
After Nihiwatu’s launch in 2001, stays at this low-key beach retreat became a rite of passage in surfer circles.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of stays

Noun

The audit found the programme was already six to 12 months behind schedule because of construction delays and shortages of key components.

— Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 16 Aug. 2026
Shipping through the crucial waterway has come to an almost complete standstill causing delays to projects which were even largely complete before war broke out.

— Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of delays

Verb

What reads at a casual distance as serene maternal tenderness shifts, on closer inspection, into something more ambivalent—a shade of melancholy that surfaces only when the eye lingers on Mary’s face.

— Carmen Rosenberg-Miller, Artforum, 6 Aug. 2026
Smoke lingers over the charred ground as flames burn through the brush while Spokane Valley Fire Department crews respond to the Autumn Lane Fire on Monday.

— Amanda Jackson, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of lingers

Verb

The Hall of Fame Game was fun, but a full slate of preseason games awaits starting Thursday.

— Jim Reineking, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026
In the front gardens, yellow and red roses bloom to match the houses’ exteriors; in the back, a sunny 4-foot cocktail pool with a natural limestone border awaits guests.

— Dakota Kim, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of awaits

Verb

Albany police said Gallimore has been suspended without pay while the outcome of administrative action against him remains pending.

— Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
With prospects for a deal toward ending the war with Iran unclear, the stability of oil supplies remains uncertain with the Strait of Hormuz nearly closed, blocking a vital route for oil and gas tankers from the Middle East.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026