stand by
Britishverb
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(intr, adverb) to be available and ready to act if needed or called upon
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(intr, adverb) to be present as an onlooker or without taking any action
he stood by at the accident
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(intr, preposition) to be faithful to
to stand by one's principles
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(tr, adverb) English law (of the Crown) to challenge (a juror) without needing to show cause
noun
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a person or thing that is ready for use or can be relied on in an emergency
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( as modifier )
stand-by provisions
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in a state of readiness for action or use
adjective
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Be ready or available to act, as in I'm almost ready for you to carve the turkey, so please stand by . [Mid-1200s]
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Wait for something to resume, as in We are all standing by until the power is restored . Also see on standby .
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Be present but remain uninvolved, refrain from acting, as in I can't stand by and see these kids shoplifting . [Late 1300s]
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Remain loyal, as in She's my friend and I'll stand by her, no matter what . [Early 1500s] Also see stick by .
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Adhere to, abide by, as in I'm going to stand by what I said yesterday . [Late 1300s]
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.
“I said, ‘Follow the law exactly as it is written and announced in the executive order, and we’ll stand by you.
From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026
Nick, from Warrington: All this talk of overruling VAR's recommendation for Cunha's goal, but it's actually refreshing to see a referee take ownership of a decision and stand by it.
From BBC • May 17, 2026
“I don’t work for Replimune. I work for the American people, and I stand by the scientists at the FDA,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026
“I’ve said that I will not leave the board until this investigation is well and truly over, with transparency and finality, and I stand by that,” Powell said Wednesday.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 29, 2026
Appearing on the platform distracted Sam for a moment, and Elliot managed to pull himself free from the headlock Sam had him in to come stand by me.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
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.
