stand 1 of 2

verb

ˈstand How to pronounce stand (audio)
Definition of standnext
1
as in to sit
to occupy a place or location the monument stands in the middle of the town plaza

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to tolerate
to put up with (something painful or difficult) I don't know how you can stand that job

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to pay
to give what is owed for I'll stand lunch, and you can pay me back later

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to be
to take or have a certain position within a group arranged in vertical classes if the city's baseball team wins today, they will stand first in the league

Synonyms & Similar Words

stand

2 of 2

noun

as in podium
a level usually raised surface marchers passed by the reviewing stand

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb stand differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of stand are abide, bear, endure, suffer, and tolerate. While all these words mean "to put up with something trying or painful," stand emphasizes even more strongly the ability to bear without discomposure or flinching.

unable to stand teasing

When is abide a more appropriate choice than stand?

Although the words abide and stand have much in common, abide suggests acceptance without resistance or protest.

cannot abide their rudeness

When can bear be used instead of stand?

The synonyms bear and stand are sometimes interchangeable, but bear usually implies the power to sustain without flinching or breaking.

forced to bear a tragic loss

In what contexts can endure take the place of stand?

While the synonyms endure and stand are close in meaning, endure implies continuing firm or resolute through trials and difficulties.

endured years of rejection

When could suffer be used to replace stand?

The meanings of suffer and stand largely overlap; however, suffer often suggests acceptance or passivity rather than courage or patience in bearing.

suffering many insults

When might tolerate be a better fit than stand?

In some situations, the words tolerate and stand are roughly equivalent. However, tolerate suggests overcoming or successfully controlling an impulse to resist, avoid, or resent something injurious or distasteful.

refused to tolerate such treatment

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stand
Verb
Heat escapes its atmosphere so quickly that, were one to stand at its equator at noon with skin exposed — not a great idea! —Alex Morris, Rolling Stone, 15 June 2025 Hargitay made a glamorous appearance on the red carpet as she was photographed holding hands with her two youngest kids, Andrew and Amaya, while August and husband Peter stood alongside. —Escher Walcott, People.com, 14 June 2025
Noun
The weather did not interrupt the event, as Trump and members of his administration gathered on an elaborate reviewing stand set up on the Ellipse. —Ted Johnson, Deadline, 14 June 2025 Kin Thai’s menu tours the streets of Thailand, sampling food from stands on Bangkok’s major boulevards to bike-riding vendors in the rural countryside. —Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 14 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for stand
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stand
  1. sit
  2. tolerate
  3. pay
  4. be
  5. podium
  6. lie
  7. endure
  8. meet
Verb
  • Once owned by Mickey Drexler, the 26-acre horse farm sits on a sandy road a stone’s throw from Peter Beard’s house and the Roosevelt estate.
    — Alessandra Schade, Vogue, 7 June 2025
  • Susana Rosario, 61, sits on a bench there every day.
    — Sergio Martínez-Beltrán, NPR, 7 June 2025
Definition of sit
Verb
  • Remember: The skin on our necks is much thinner, so even if your face can tolerate these ingredients, baby steps around the neck are important.
    — Deanna Pai, Glamour, 12 June 2025
  • Lynch opened up a whole new space where ambiguity wasn’t just tolerated — it was embraced.
    — Ben Croll, Variety, 12 June 2025
Definition of tolerate
Verb
  • In some cases, vehicle owners who could not afford to pay the fees to recover their vehicles lost them permanently.
    — Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 14 June 2025
  • There is a $10 fee per class paid to the instructor.
    — Kris Slugg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 June 2025
Definition of pay
Verb
  • There were transfer kids available, who were good kids who wanted to come after Spencer left.
    — Bruce Feldman, New York Times, 16 June 2025
  • There is nothing funny about Sophie’s assault and subsequent, rightful legal action against Lucy’s matchmaking company.
    — Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 16 June 2025
Definition of be
Noun
  • Del Toro and Carapaz both finished on the podium and won stages.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 14 June 2025
  • Being elected lieutenant governor of California in 2010 Newsom introduces then-gubernatorial candidate and California Attorney General Jerry Brown to the podium during a rally at UCLA on Oct. 15, 2010.
    — Solcyré Burga, Time, 12 June 2025
Definition of podium
Verb
  • Chaco Canyon lies in the San Juan basin, once the largest gas basin in the U.S. Chaco has been simmering in the New Mexico cauldron for a number of years.
    — Ian Dexter Palmer, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
  • Noni finds herself up against Lion’s violent henchmen and women in series of fight-to-the-death encounters aboard the tyrant’s grandiose sailing ship, which lies at the heart of a vast naval fleet.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 9 June 2025
Definition of lie
Verb
  • Johnny Carson, Merv Griffin, Judy Garland are back on TV Oct. 12, 2015 The enduring success of the series, set in the frontier town of Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, demonstrates how every new evolution of video consumption can unlock the value of beloved vintage titles.
    — Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2025
  • Not in a transactional sense, though synergy toward enduring economic growth would be plenty welcome.
    — Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 12 June 2025
Definition of endure
Verb
  • Hong Kong’s relentless pace has inspired a wellness revolution where ancient rituals meet cutting-edge science.
    — Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
  • The diplomat noted that the consulate is assisting Hondurans even without appointments and has opened on Saturdays to meet demand.
    — Sonia Osorio, Miami Herald, 8 June 2025
Definition of meet

Phrases Containing stand

Browse Nearby Words

stanchions
stand
stand-alone
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Cite this Entry

“Stand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stand. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.

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