stand on
Britishverb
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(adverb) to continue to navigate a vessel on the same heading
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(preposition) to insist on
to stand on ceremony
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informal to be independent or self-reliant
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Be based on, depend on, as in Our success will stand on their support . [c. 1600]
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Insist on observance of, as in Let's not stand on ceremony . This usage today is nearly always put in a negative context. [Mid-1500s]
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.
Well, if we’re going to be loathed, we might as well stand on the right side of history.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
And it feels intense to stand on the track, let alone drive it, with the walls on either side appearing to close in on you.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
Instagram boss Adam Mosseri took the stand on Tuesday as the trial entered its second week.
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
It’s best to start on firm ground first, aiming to stand on each leg for 30 seconds.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
The air filled with static, making my hairs stand on end.
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
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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.