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Synonyms

stay the course

Idioms  

  1. Hold or persevere to the end, as in No, he's not resigning; he's going to stay the course. This metaphoric expression, alluding to a horse running an entire race, was first recorded in 1916.

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.

The lesson from chaotic times is to stay the course.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

“If you can shift the conversation from, ‘How much did you make today?’, to ‘How long can you stay the course?’

From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026

"We can stay the course, and we think it is to the benefit of Canada to take its time and not rush into a deal prematurely."

From BBC • Nov. 25, 2025

But real love stories involve choosing to stay the course despite the inevitable setbacks and conflicts.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 19, 2025

She wanted to turn back to the safety of the dishes she’d left in the sink, but she had to stay the course.

From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez

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.