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Synonyms

at bay

Idioms  

  1. Cornered, in distress, as in Angry bystanders chased the thief into an alley and held him at bay until the police arrived. This idiom originally came from hunting, where it describes an animal that has been driven back and now faces pursuing hounds. Its use for other situations dates from the late 1500s.

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.

But other factors also kept market panic at bay after shipping effectively ended through the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial waterway between Oman and Iran.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 18, 2026

Navy kept both parties at bay and the waterway open.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026

Iran conflict at bay, has failed to dent the market’s spirit.

From Barron's • Jun. 1, 2026

He made multiple fine saves to keep the Rams at bay, and was beaten only by a stoppage-time penalty.

From BBC • May 29, 2026

Her oldest sister knew how to manage their spirit angels and keep human devils at bay.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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