wait up

verb

1. to delay going to bed in order to await some event

2. informal,  to halt and pause in order that another person may catch up

Idioms and Phrases

Postpone going to bed in anticipation of someone or something, as in My parents always wait up until I get home, no matter how late it is . [Mid-1800s]

Stop or pause so that another can catch up, as in Let's wait up for the stragglers , or Don't walk so fast; wait up for me . [ Colloquial ]

Example Sentences

This year Coachella replaced its first come first-come, first-served system for campers with a reservation-style programme, forcing attendees to wait up to 12 hours in their vehicles in scorching desert temperatures with limited facilities.

From BBC

Patients who believe they were harmed by a disgraced brain surgeon will have to wait up to two years to find out whether he will face criminal charges.

From BBC

A host of hospital building projects in England are being delayed with some having to wait up to 14 years before work starts, the government says.

From BBC

It says some patients can wait up to five years for specialist support, and that some services are so overstretched they have closed their waiting lists entirely.

From BBC

Erin Mellon, a spokesperson for Newsom, said that in the event of a financial crisis the measure would require government to wait up to two years for the next ballot to raise taxes, “potentially putting lives and our economy at risk.”

From Los Angeles Times