stand over
Britishverb
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(intr, preposition) to watch closely; keep tight control over
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(adverb) to postpone or be postponed
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informal (intr, preposition) to threaten or intimidate (a person)
noun
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Watch or supervise closely, as in I hate to cook when you're standing over me . [First half of 1300s]
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Postpone, as in We'll have to let this budget item stand over till next year . [Early 1800s]
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.
"How can you stand over your executive and your commitment to expand Magee at the same time as collapsing the workforce?" she asked the minister.
From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026
“You could be having dinner or breakfast, whatever, and people will come over and stand over you and talk to you,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 2, 2025
Lawyer Keith Davidson concluded his testimony Thursday after spending nearly 6 1/2 hours on the stand over two days.
From Seattle Times • May 3, 2024
Jay Batongbacal, director of the Manila-based Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, said the joint patrol with the United States showed the Manila was making a stand over the South China Sea.
From Reuters • Nov. 21, 2023
The point of the column is to explain why a heron might stand over a frozen bog.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
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.
