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Synonyms

stand for

British  

verb

  1. to represent or mean

  2. to be or become a candidate for

  3. to support or recommend

  4. informal to tolerate or bear

    he won't stand for any disobedience
"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 for Idioms  

  1. Represent, symbolize, as in The stars and stripes stands for our country . [Early 1600s]

  2. Advocate, support, uphold, as in The National Writers Union stands for freedom of the press . [c. 1300] Also see stand up for .

  3. Put up with, tolerate. This usage is generally in a negative context, as in Mother will not stand for rude behavior . [Late 1800s] Also see hold still for .

  4. stand for something . Have some value or importance, as in She realized that appearances do stand for something . This usage dates from the mid-1800s but was preceded by stand for nothing , meaning “be worthless,” dating from the late 1300s. Also see stand in for .

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.

If we stand for the First Amendment, then we should celebrate it and promote it.

From Salon • May 1, 2026

Farage announced he would stand for Parliament in early June 2024, after the election had been called.

From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026

That election cycle was also the last stand for the Hill editor.

From Slate • Apr. 21, 2026

“Our union was very small, and it was very difficult for us to stand for what we believe in,” Galan-Jaramillo said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2026

However, this “law” can hardly have dictated his choice of green to stand for the girl’s psyche.

From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson

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.