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
I stand by it as a novel, but I felt like the way it was interpreted was like, “Fine, yes, it’s a novel about acceptance and the grass not being always greener.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026
“We will not stand by and let them continue to try to intimidate us,” Lainy Yompian said during the conference.
From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026
Her early success "only intensified her commitment to stand by the common man - squatting with vendors, arriving wherever there was trouble, dressing simply and making it her hallmark style".
From BBC • May 5, 2026
"We cannot simply stand by and let death slowly come to our village. I vote to go."
From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda
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.
