standby
1 of 4noun
stand·by ˈstan(d)-ˌbī 
plural standbys ˈstan(d)-ˌbīz
1
a
: one to be relied on especially in emergencies
b
: a favorite or reliable choice or resource
2
: one that is held in reserve ready for use : substitute
standby
2 of 4adjective
1
: held near at hand and ready for use
a standby power plant
standby equipment
2
: relating to the act or condition of standing by
standby duty
a standby period
3
: of, relating to, or traveling by an airline service in which the passenger must wait for an available unreserved seat
standby passengers
a standby ticket
standby
3 of 4adverb
: on a standby basis
fly standby
stand by
4 of 4verb
stood by; standing by; stands by
intransitive verb
1
: to be present
also : to remain apart or aloof
2
: to be or to get ready to act
an ambulance was standing by
transitive verb
: to remain loyal or faithful to : defend
stood by his decision
Synonyms
Noun
- anchor
- buttress
- dependence
- dependance
- mainstay
- pillar
- reliance
Verb
- adhere (to)
- cling (to)
- hew (to)
- keep (to)
- stick (to or with)
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun More police officers were sent as standbys. We bought an electric generator as a standby. Verb no matter how much people object, I will stand by my decision
Recent Examples on the Web
Frank Jordans, ajc, 5 Sep. 2022 Liz McCarthney, who is the standby for Mrs. Brice, will assume the role from Tuesday, Aug. 16 through Sunday, Sept. 4 at the August Wilson Theatre. Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 9 Aug. 2022 In the interim, Benko, who has been Feldstein's standby, will perform the role from Aug. 2 through Sept. 4, and every Thursday beginning Sept. 8. Kelsie Gibson, PEOPLE.com, 13 July 2022 The ensemble will be completed by Che Ayende, Eboni Flowers, and Peter Smith, and Stevie Ray Dallimore will be the standby for Daniel Craig. Emily Burack, Town & Country, 14 Feb. 2022 Reid then became an offstage standby for the Chicago production, filling in as Aaron Burr, George Washington, Hercules Mulligan/James Madison and Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson. Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2021 John Jellison, a standby for the mayor, used the down time to learn 90 classical songs. Washington Post, 16 Sep. 2021 No Phil Mickelson, a Ryder Cup standby for 26 years. New York Times, 8 Sep. 2021 Meanwhile, Café Luna has been a reliable standby for a generation. Ian Mcnulty, NOLA.com, 28 Oct. 2020 Kyla Guilfoil, ABC News, 29 Aug. 2022 The instrument is now in a standby mode and may record data a few more times in the coming months before being decommissioned. David Bressan, Forbes, 5 July 2022 The mock elections had people on standby acting effectively as poll workers, who would assist voters in operating the kiosks as well as take notes. Steven Aquino, Forbes, 17 Aug. 2022 General admission: free; special exhibition pricing: $12, $18, free for ages 17 and under; advance timed-entry tickets required; no on-site standby line. Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2022 General admission: free; special exhibition pricing: $12, $18, free for ages 17 and under; advance timed-entry tickets required; no on-site standby line. Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2022 LaTresha Woodruff, Arkansas Department of Emergency Management public information officer, said the agency remains on standby and ready to assist if anything else is needed. Teresa Moss, Arkansas Online, 11 Apr. 2022 Police said Moechella organizers did not have a permit for the event, which would have required them to file a safety plan, secure medical teams on standby and hire private security licensed by the District or pay for off-duty police officers. Martin Weil, Washington Post, 20 June 2022 Free; advance registration recommended; standby line available. Matt Cooperlistings Coordinator, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2022 Chuck Wilcoxen, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Nov. 2021 Flying standby on the same day and putting frequent flier miles back into loyalty accounts are becoming free benefits, too. Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Dec. 2020 Alaska Airlines only allows certain tickets to fly standby, including refundable main cabin tickets and first class tickets. Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 18 Sep. 2020 Allied Pilots Association spokesman Dennis Tajer said there is also an unusually high number of pilots working standby in recent months. Kyle Arnold, chicagotribune.com, 3 Sep. 2020 Currently, travelers must pay a $75 fee to fly standby. Susan Glaser, cleveland, 31 Aug. 2020 According to the JetBlue website, customers with travel planned between September 5 and September 17 can rebook or travel standby without paying additional fees. Natasha Bach, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2017 Josh St. Clair, Men's Health, 22 Aug. 2022 She’d even been taken shopping for something to wear on the stand by the wife of an attorney on Kelly’s legal team. Megan Crepeau, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2022 Weireter was followed to the stand by an expert on police policy and procedures. Brent Schrotenboer, USA TODAY, 13 Aug. 2022 Later, Winger left the medal stand by leaping to the track, as if to state mission accomplished. oregonlive, 22 July 2022 Vernon, a 12-year-old paper boy in 1975, admitted in 2014 that police coerced him to lie on the stand by threatening to put his parents in jail. cleveland, 9 June 2022 Richard Marks, a Hollywood attorney, was called by Depp’s team to counter testimony given on Monday by Kathryn Arnold, an entertainment consultant, who was called to the stand by the defense. Travis M. Andrews, Washington Post, 24 May 2022 Two men — Ludo and Daniel — stand by a portable sauna mounted on a trailer bed. New York Times, 23 Feb. 2022 Smoke rises from smoldering trash bins as young Arab men face off against Israeli police — and later on, police stand by as young Jewish men in skullcaps hurl stones toward Palestinian youths or Arab storefronts. Dina Kraft, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2021 See More
Noun
To help prevent this from happening, Germany will keep two reactors — Isar 2 in Bavaria and Neckarwestheim north of Stuttgart — on standby until mid-April next year, Habeck said. Frank Jordans, ajc, 5 Sep. 2022 Liz McCarthney, who is the standby for Mrs. Brice, will assume the role from Tuesday, Aug. 16 through Sunday, Sept. 4 at the August Wilson Theatre. Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 9 Aug. 2022 In the interim, Benko, who has been Feldstein's standby, will perform the role from Aug. 2 through Sept. 4, and every Thursday beginning Sept. 8. Kelsie Gibson, PEOPLE.com, 13 July 2022 The ensemble will be completed by Che Ayende, Eboni Flowers, and Peter Smith, and Stevie Ray Dallimore will be the standby for Daniel Craig. Emily Burack, Town & Country, 14 Feb. 2022 Reid then became an offstage standby for the Chicago production, filling in as Aaron Burr, George Washington, Hercules Mulligan/James Madison and Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson. Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2021 John Jellison, a standby for the mayor, used the down time to learn 90 classical songs. Washington Post, 16 Sep. 2021 No Phil Mickelson, a Ryder Cup standby for 26 years. New York Times, 8 Sep. 2021 Meanwhile, Café Luna has been a reliable standby for a generation. Ian Mcnulty, NOLA.com, 28 Oct. 2020 Adjective
Reeves also reported that search and rescue teams are on standby and prepared to respond to local authorities' needs. Kyla Guilfoil, ABC News, 29 Aug. 2022 The instrument is now in a standby mode and may record data a few more times in the coming months before being decommissioned. David Bressan, Forbes, 5 July 2022 The mock elections had people on standby acting effectively as poll workers, who would assist voters in operating the kiosks as well as take notes. Steven Aquino, Forbes, 17 Aug. 2022 General admission: free; special exhibition pricing: $12, $18, free for ages 17 and under; advance timed-entry tickets required; no on-site standby line. Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2022 General admission: free; special exhibition pricing: $12, $18, free for ages 17 and under; advance timed-entry tickets required; no on-site standby line. Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2022 LaTresha Woodruff, Arkansas Department of Emergency Management public information officer, said the agency remains on standby and ready to assist if anything else is needed. Teresa Moss, Arkansas Online, 11 Apr. 2022 Police said Moechella organizers did not have a permit for the event, which would have required them to file a safety plan, secure medical teams on standby and hire private security licensed by the District or pay for off-duty police officers. Martin Weil, Washington Post, 20 June 2022 Free; advance registration recommended; standby line available. Matt Cooperlistings Coordinator, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2022 Adverb
Once, while flying standby back from Europe, I was bumped off a flight 41 times in a row. Apologies. Chuck Wilcoxen, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Nov. 2021 Flying standby on the same day and putting frequent flier miles back into loyalty accounts are becoming free benefits, too. Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Dec. 2020 Alaska Airlines only allows certain tickets to fly standby, including refundable main cabin tickets and first class tickets. Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 18 Sep. 2020 Allied Pilots Association spokesman Dennis Tajer said there is also an unusually high number of pilots working standby in recent months. Kyle Arnold, chicagotribune.com, 3 Sep. 2020 Currently, travelers must pay a $75 fee to fly standby. Susan Glaser, cleveland, 31 Aug. 2020 According to the JetBlue website, customers with travel planned between September 5 and September 17 can rebook or travel standby without paying additional fees. Natasha Bach, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2017 Verb
Will House Stark stand by Rhaenyra Targaryen, the rightful heir of Viserys I? Josh St. Clair, Men's Health, 22 Aug. 2022 She’d even been taken shopping for something to wear on the stand by the wife of an attorney on Kelly’s legal team. Megan Crepeau, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2022 Weireter was followed to the stand by an expert on police policy and procedures. Brent Schrotenboer, USA TODAY, 13 Aug. 2022 Later, Winger left the medal stand by leaping to the track, as if to state mission accomplished. oregonlive, 22 July 2022 Vernon, a 12-year-old paper boy in 1975, admitted in 2014 that police coerced him to lie on the stand by threatening to put his parents in jail. cleveland, 9 June 2022 Richard Marks, a Hollywood attorney, was called by Depp’s team to counter testimony given on Monday by Kathryn Arnold, an entertainment consultant, who was called to the stand by the defense. Travis M. Andrews, Washington Post, 24 May 2022 Two men — Ludo and Daniel — stand by a portable sauna mounted on a trailer bed. New York Times, 23 Feb. 2022 Smoke rises from smoldering trash bins as young Arab men face off against Israeli police — and later on, police stand by as young Jewish men in skullcaps hurl stones toward Palestinian youths or Arab storefronts. Dina Kraft, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2021 See More Word History
First Known Use
Noun
1796, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Adjective
1872, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Adverb
1971, in the meaning defined above
Verb
13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1
Phrases Containing standby
stood by
verb
as in held to
to give steadfast support to no matter how much people object, I will stand by my decision Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- held to
- kept (to)
- abided by
- defended
- adhered (to)
- clung (to)
- hewed (to)
- accepted
- stuck (to or with)
- cultivated
- followed
- supported
- adopted
- endorsed
- embraced
- lived up to
- confirmed
- upheld
- advocated
- reinforced
- enforced
- backed
- cleaved (to)
- championed
- cherished
- espoused
- fostered
- indorsed
- bolstered
- heeded
- backstopped
- buttressed
- boosted
- reenforced
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- gave up
- abandoned
- took back
- deserted
- defected (from)
- disagreed (with)
- recalled
- relinquished
- reconsidered
- spurned
- revoked
- surrendered
- withdrew
- renounced
- retracted
- forsook
- abnegated
- refuted
- rebutted
- disputed
- recanted
- denied
- disproved
- abjured
- controverted
- reneged
- contradicted
- repudiated
- disowned
- disavowed
- negated
- disclaimed
- backed off
- gainsaid
- backed down
- unsaid
- negatived
- backtracked