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

See Examples For:

wait out

But American business owners and policymakers are grappling with a thornier question: Are high energy costs a temporary nuisance to wait out, or a long-term economic reality that calls for price increases right now?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

Some Russians who have the money to travel have already scoped out destinations for the next few months where they can wait out a potential mobilization.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026

However, investors willing to wait out some short-term volatility have typically been rewarded.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 25, 2026

As companies linked to housing wait out the market, they are also contending with threats from tech.

From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026

All the scrap and rust buyers who contracted with Lawson &c Carlson had fled inland to wait out the storm.

From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi

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