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.

In Europe, Italy has put its coal plants on standby as it girds for a prolonged energy shock.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026

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

From BBC • May 16, 2026

Specialist officers, working with prosecutors, will be on standby to take swift decisions to arrest and charge hate speech crimes.

From BBC • May 13, 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

“Me getting home tomorrow morning? I’m supposed to be on standby here; the casting people told me I might be getting a call to come back in or something.”

From "Better Nate Than Ever" by Tim Federle

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