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
Jeff Marks, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2026
In our districts in suburban Cook County, a single adult waits an average of 117 days to get emergency shelter.
—Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Weekday lunch waits these days seem to average about 45 minutes.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
After Hancock waits an hour or so for the drone to descend, the moment arrives and the drone plops Hancock’s syrup directly onto the concrete, which isn’t a good sign.
—Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 16 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
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
The catching situation remains in flux as the club waits to see how Hunter Goodman and Drew Romo develop.
—Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post, 19 Oct. 2024
Jim Reineking, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
Columbines are perfect for gardeners seeking quick, stunning blooms without long waits.
—Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 22 Apr. 2026
As data center developers face long waits for connections to traditional utilities, and amid mounting public resistance to the possibility of higher energy bills, making their own power is becoming an increasingly popular option.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 22 Apr. 2026
Transit experts say long waits and congestion stem from inconsistent service.
—Yaelis Pena, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2026
Republicans and Democrats asked Edlow about growing waits for people to get an answer on their work permits or naturalization application.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 16 Apr. 2026
Every minute an infrastructure project waits — due to red tape, political wrangling, indecision, prolonged negotiations, burdensome rules, lack of funding and too few hands to move it forward — the costs go up, support softens, champions go quiet and good projects die.
—Gia Biagi, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
Privatized airports avoided long shutdown waits Privatizing airport security, some in the business argue, makes airport workers and travelers less vulnerable to becoming pawns in congressional fights over policy issues.
—Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2026
As more Transportation Security Administration agents called out from work, there was increasing frustration for air travelers confronted by long waits at some airport security lines.
—Kevin Freking, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust’s portfolio.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2026
In our districts in suburban Cook County, a single adult waits an average of 117 days to get emergency shelter.
—Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Weekday lunch waits these days seem to average about 45 minutes.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
After Hancock waits an hour or so for the drone to descend, the moment arrives and the drone plops Hancock’s syrup directly onto the concrete, which isn’t a good sign.
—Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 16 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
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
The catching situation remains in flux as the club waits to see how Hunter Goodman and Drew Romo develop.
—Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post, 19 Oct. 2024
Noun
Here are five players who could end up being taken later than the consensus suggests and seven college football standouts who could face long waits.
—Jim Reineking, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
Columbines are perfect for gardeners seeking quick, stunning blooms without long waits.
—Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 22 Apr. 2026
As data center developers face long waits for connections to traditional utilities, and amid mounting public resistance to the possibility of higher energy bills, making their own power is becoming an increasingly popular option.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 22 Apr. 2026
Transit experts say long waits and congestion stem from inconsistent service.
—Yaelis Pena, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2026
Republicans and Democrats asked Edlow about growing waits for people to get an answer on their work permits or naturalization application.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 16 Apr. 2026
Every minute an infrastructure project waits — due to red tape, political wrangling, indecision, prolonged negotiations, burdensome rules, lack of funding and too few hands to move it forward — the costs go up, support softens, champions go quiet and good projects die.
—Gia Biagi, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
Privatized airports avoided long shutdown waits Privatizing airport security, some in the business argue, makes airport workers and travelers less vulnerable to becoming pawns in congressional fights over policy issues.
—Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2026
As more Transportation Security Administration agents called out from work, there was increasing frustration for air travelers confronted by long waits at some airport security lines.
—Kevin Freking, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waits
Verb
-
The entire strategy is built on one core idea of keeping the bad actors out, and the data inside stays safe.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Garmin Smartwatch Deal The Garmin Venu 3S features a vibrant AMOLED touchscreen that stays clear in direct sunlight, tracking everything from sleep scores to your BodyBattery levels.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
One challenge the next state controller will face is the effort to modernize the state’s payroll system, which has encountered significant delays and is one of California’s most costly IT projects.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Drivers saw delays throughout the day Friday as streets running parallel to and crossing 19th Avenue also slowed while people looked for alternate routes.—
Kenny Choi,
CBS News,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
While attendance has improved following partial compensation measures, the damage to morale and institutional trust lingers.—
Nicole Sganga,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Evoking a lifeless image to start a conversation about energy flow was counterintuitive, but the image lingers and proves his point.—
Jasna Hodžić,
Big Think,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Gillum now awaits extradition from Florida to Louisiana.—
Rebekah Riess,
CNN Money,
24 Apr. 2026
-
As the world awaits a resolution on the fate of the Strait of Hormuz -- one of the most vital global trade routes -- the seafarers who have been stranded for weeks aboard ships and tankers on either side of the waterway are desperate for answers.—
Desiree Adib,
ABC News,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
When delivered as intended, hospice remains one of the most compassionate and effective models of care in our healthcare system.—
Tom Koutsoumpas,
Oc Register,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Among them was Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, which entirely terminated all its gender affirming services for minors in July and remains the only major California institution to have done so.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Waits.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waits. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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