stay of execution
Americannoun
plural
stays of executionExample Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But sometimes courts have to act to prevent harm as litigation continues at its ordinary pace—for example, by issuing a stay of execution while considering a death-penalty appeal.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026
Despite a 2-1 loss, Alonso was given a stay of execution.
From Barron's • Jan. 12, 2026
Even with their flaws and mistakes, Rob Pelinka and rookie coach JJ Redick earned at least a stay of execution.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 5, 2025
And yet, the Williams case also boggled the mind, but the Supreme Court denied the stay of execution, with all three liberals dissenting.
From Slate • Sep. 30, 2024
The trial judge had denied our request for a stay of execution by the time I got back to Montgomery.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
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.
