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 White House said on Friday that US Vice-President JD Vance had been "on standby" to join the talks had they proved successful.

From BBC • Apr. 25, 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 White House also said that Trump and Marco Rubio “will be on standby to fly to Pakistan if necessary.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

Ireland's armed forces have been put "on standby" to assist with clearing the blockades, defence minister Helen McEntee has said.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

Each crew spent twenty-four hours on standby, making periodic checks, clearing the debris, doing whatever was necessary to keep the water moving into camp.

From "Farewell to Manzanar" by Jeanne Houston

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