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.
Additional officers stand over three other handcuffed men.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
"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
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.
