wait out

Idioms  

1. Delay until the end of something, as in They waited out the war in Paris. This expression comes from baseball, where it alludes to the batter refraining from swinging at pitches in the hope of being walked (getting to first base on balls). It was first recorded in 1909 and was transferred to other activities by the 1930s.

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Example Sentences

“What we’ve heard from our constituents is that oftentimes, rather than denying the claim, what they’ll do is they’ll just delay and delay and kind of wait out fire survivors who they know are desperate,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times

About 100 residents say they have applied to put a temporary living structure on their plot, such as an RV, as they wait out the process.

From The Wall Street Journal

These aren’t luxury goods that can wait out a crisis; they are essential inputs to healthcare, the water supply, food production, energy and weapons systems—areas where rapid disruption and scarce substitutes make for true vulnerability.

From The Wall Street Journal

The best move now: Take profits, move to guaranteed instruments and wait out the storm.

From MarketWatch

John Fritz was 10 when he and his family fled to a remote cabin to wait out the crisis.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• accept
• bleed
• encounter
• experience
• feel
• go through
• have
• hurt
• know
• receive
• see
• support
• sustain
• take
• undergo