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on standby

Idioms

Ready and waiting, as in We've got three more painters on standby. This expression originated in the navy in the 1940s, where it referred to someone being ready to come on duty as soon as required. From about 1960 it began to be widely used in aviation for a passenger waiting to take the first available seat on a full flight.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The risk of dwindling electricity supplies has caused a spike in the price utilities pay power plant owners to operate on standby during times of extreme demand.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

Officers will use drones, police horses and dogs, and have armoured vehicles on standby.

From BBC • May 16, 2026

With Islamabad on standby to host talks should they go forward, life in the capital has been upended in recent days.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 25, 2026

"The Iranians want to talk," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, adding that US Vice-President JD Vance was "on standby" to travel if the talks proved successful.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026

Six thousand militiamen were put on standby in nearby armories.

From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023