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Synonyms

stand by

British  

verb

  1. (intr, adverb) to be available and ready to act if needed or called upon

  2. (intr, adverb) to be present as an onlooker or without taking any action

    he stood by at the accident

  3. (intr, preposition) to be faithful to

    to stand by one's principles

  4. (tr, adverb) English law (of the Crown) to challenge (a juror) without needing to show cause

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

    1. a person or thing that is ready for use or can be relied on in an emergency

    2. ( as modifier )

      stand-by provisions

  2. in a state of readiness for action or use

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. (of an airline passenger, fare, or seat) not booked in advance but awaiting or subject to availability

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
stand by Idioms  

  1. Be ready or available to act, as in I'm almost ready for you to carve the turkey, so please stand by . [Mid-1200s]

  2. Wait for something to resume, as in We are all standing by until the power is restored . Also see on standby .

  3. Be present but remain uninvolved, refrain from acting, as in I can't stand by and see these kids shoplifting . [Late 1300s]

  4. Remain loyal, as in She's my friend and I'll stand by her, no matter what . [Early 1500s] Also see stick by .

  5. 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.

The need was just too great, thought Gil, to stand by and do nothing.

From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026

"We're going to stand by people in this crisis," he said, adding the government was "preparing for all eventualities".

From BBC • Mar. 15, 2026

"Let me be clear today - we will stand by our biggest city in its hour of need. The SNP will do everything in our power to make Glasgow flourish," he said.

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026

“I stand by our scientists. Many of these applications are very scientifically complex.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

If the situation was reversed, Styx would stand by us.

From "The Season of Styx Malone" by Kekla Magoon

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.