stick by

verb

1. (intr, preposition) to remain faithful to; adhere to

Idioms and Phrases

Also, stick to. Remain loyal to, as in The brothers said they'd stick by one another, no matter what, or Phyllis promised to stick to Bert. This idiom derives from stick in the sense of “adhere.” [Early 1500s] Also see stand by, def. 4.

Example Sentences

Ever since, said Ann Bryant, the executive director of the Bear League, teams of volunteers have tried to stick by the bear at all times, to protect her from being killed by Fish and Wildlife.

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"We have contracts with the clubs called the Professional Rugby Agreement and we have made it very clear to the clubs that we will stick by our obligations in those agreements," said chairman Richard Collier-Keywood.

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There's one basic rule she sticks by: "We don't waste anything," she says.

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Rachel Reeves had promised to stick by her "iron clad" fiscal rules, which mean that debt has to be on a trajectory to fall as a share of national income on a five year horizon.

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Why did they stick by him, even as it became increasingly clear he was putting the whole community on a pathway to self-destruction?

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Related Words

• aid 
• approve 
• assist 
• back 
• bolster 
• boost 
• endorse 
• establish 
• help 
• hold 
• justify 
• maintain 
• promote 
• side with 
• uphold