waiting in the wings
IdiomsExample 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 momentum created an opening for dozens of smaller, mainly private-equity backed software firms that had been waiting in the wings.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 24, 2026
The Chinese skier celebrated like her medal was confirmed at that point, despite plenty of skiers waiting in the wings to nudge her off the podium.
From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026
Investors may not have seen the end of last week’s market volatility, with some big automated funds waiting in the wings to push the sell button if the S&P 500 sees another big drop.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 9, 2026
What’s not clear is how much he’ll play, with freshman Husan Longstreet waiting in the wings and USC still hoping he’ll settle for another season sitting behind Maiava.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 29, 2025
But if he had had a fleet of makeup men waiting in the wings, an agent, a contract, a percentage of the profits—what then would he be?
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
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.
