standby

1 of 4

noun

stand·​by ˈstan(d)-ˌbī How to pronounce standby (audio)
plural standbys ˈstan(d)-ˌbīz How to pronounce standby (audio)
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 4

adjective

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 4

adverb

: on a standby basis
fly standby

stand by

4 of 4

verb

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
Phrases
on standby
: ready or available for immediate action or use

Examples of standby in a Sentence

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
Noun
Kentucky's Emergency Operations Center has been activated and urban search and rescue crews from Jefferson County, northern Kentucky and the Ashland Fire Department are currently on standby. The Courier-Journal, 15 Mar. 2024 Southwest customers can rebook or travel standby within 2 weeks of their original travel date without additional charges, according to the alert. Katie Langford, The Denver Post, 12 Mar. 2024 New designers, actors, jewelry, styles, shapes, hairstyles — even lip colors — are replacing old standbys. Merle Ginsberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024 Tired of serving the crowd traditional standbys like ham and eggs, chef Fred Schmidt developed the now famous sandwich. Robin Roenker, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2024 The troopers will assist multiple local law enforcement agencies, and a rapid-response team of 24 troopers will be on standby in the state’s most popular spring break destinations – Panama City, Daytona Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami/Miami Beach. Carlos Suarez, CNN, 10 Mar. 2024 Photographers Sam Marquart and Britt Deyan were on standby to capture the intimate moment. Anneke Knot, Peoplemag, 9 Mar. 2024 The Texas Department of Transportation is planning to have tow trucks on standby to deal with any incidents. Ryan Erik King / Jalopnik, Quartz, 7 Mar. 2024 The sophisticated system results in an impressive power reserve of eight to 10 years when in use and 18 years in standby. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2024
Adjective
The pen even features a standby mode for additional safety. Erica Puisis, Parents, 9 Mar. 2024 The Secret Service already has several standby security teams and the protective detail could be dispatched to protect the former South Carolina governor and U.N. ambassador on the same day the authorization is approved, the person said. Meg Kinnard and Michael Balsamo The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 17 Feb. 2024 In standby mode, the élégante will stay running for a staggering 18 years. Carol Besler, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 Another warming center would be on standby if more space is needed, Mahan said. Ethan Baron, The Mercury News, 4 Feb. 2024 Finally, a two-second press-and-hold turns an individual earpiece on, while holding the button down for 10 seconds puts both earbuds in standby mode. PCMAG, 26 Jan. 2024 To save battery, the keyboard reverts to standby mode after 10 minutes of activity and also turns off automatically when folded. Jessica MacDonald, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2024 Also, Renew Home, although set to become a major player in the virtual power market, doesn’t plan to add occasional generators, like hospitals and universities, which might have their standby generation available in times of heavy demand from heat or cold. Llewellyn King, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2024 Expect up to 230 hours of uninterrupted usage, with up to 180 days of standby battery life. Jessica MacDonald, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2024
Adverb
The new policy was announced Sunday, along with another significant change – United travelers can now fly standby for free on flights departing the day of their travel. Susan Glaser, cleveland, 31 Aug. 2020 Silver status grants access to the Priority Reservations Waitlist (a waitlist to get a seat in a higher class) and gives travelers higher priority when flying standby. Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 25 Mar. 2023 Earlier this year, American also eliminated ticketing fees such as charges to fly standby on a same-day domestic flight—which used to cost passengers $75—as well as nixing $150 mileage reinstatement fees for customers who cancel travel originally booked with frequent flier miles. Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Nov. 2020 These days, hardly anyone is aware of the scientific reasoning behind this playground standby. Luke D. Fannin, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Feb. 2023 Flying by plane with the Army usually meant flying standby. Brianna Kwasnik, Arkansas Online, 7 May 2021 All customers with flights scheduled for Wednesday may rebook or fly standby within 14 days of their original travel dates without paying any extra fees. Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2023 On Saturday, players and coaches went to the St. Louis airport at 5 a.m. to try to fly standby. Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 27 Dec. 2022 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
Verb
The online outlet has stood by her over the years, despite her penchant for trafficking in extremist and dishonest rhetoric. Oliver Darcy, CNN, 22 Mar. 2024 Image Keagan Reeder, left, and Cooper Ray, center wearing a hat, stand by as Colton LeMunyon, in the Buffalo Bills hoodie, grills chicken the students marinated. Katie Currid Mark Josephson, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2024 On Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, staff dressed as hot dogs and pizza slices stand by the food hall imploring guests to disinfect before eating. Scott Laird, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Mar. 2024 Despite the backlash, Freeman stands by her decision to share her experience online. Zoey Lyttle, Peoplemag, 18 Mar. 2024 Emergency vehicles were standing by as a precaution, but Flight 1816 landed safely and all passengers deplaned normally at the gate, an airline spokesperson said. Jason Green, The Mercury News, 15 Mar. 2024 Boeing disputed some of Homendy’s claims; NTSB stood by her testimony. Michelle Chapman, Quartz, 12 Mar. 2024 House Republicans stand by the bill despite Trump's opposition Trump’s apparent flip-flop on banning TikTok has raised eyebrows among House Republicans who are supporting the effort to strongarm ByteDance into selling the app. USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2024 Washington has largely stood by Israel’s side even as Israel has come under withering international criticism. Amos Yadlin, Foreign Affairs, 8 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'standby.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1712, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Adjective

1882, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

1971, in the meaning defined above

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of standby was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near standby

Cite this Entry

“Standby.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/standby. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

standby

1 of 4 noun
stand·​by ˈstan(d)-ˌbī How to pronounce standby (audio)
plural standbys -ˌbīz How to pronounce standby (audio)
: one available or to be relied on especially in emergencies

standby

2 of 4 adjective
1
: held near at hand and ready for use
standby equipment
2
: relating to the act of standing by
a standby period
3
: of or relating to a mode of transportation (as airline service) in which the passengers must wait for an available unreserved spot
a standby ticket

standby

3 of 4 adverb
: as a standby passenger
flying standby

stand by

4 of 4 verb
(ˈ)stan(d)-ˈbī
1
: to be present
stood by, watching the game
2
: to be or to get ready to act
ambulances are standing by
3
: to remain loyal or faithful
stood by us to the end
stood by his decision

More from Merriam-Webster on standby

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