as in stays
to remain in place in readiness or expectation of something
please wait here, and we'll seat you shortly
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in delays
an instance or period of being prevented from going about one's business
there was a long wait for the manager to come and help us
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of waits
Daniel Kearney, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2025
More than a thousand miles away in New Delhi, Mohammad waits for his daughter, powerless to save her for a second time from the horrors faced by their community in Myanmar.
—Esha Mitra, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2025
Charlotte now waits to see if the playoff berth is official.
—Colin Cerniglia, Charlotte Observer, 14 Sep. 2025
Thinking of his estranged teenage son and terminally ill mother, McKay waits and waits before answering the call.
—Andy Hazel, IndieWire, 8 Sep. 2025
The world waits for a compelling example of humanoid robots saving a customer money in a defensible way.
—Jeff Mahler, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
Compiled annually by a group led by Franklin Leonard, a recipient of a Gotham tribute award this year, Variety waits with childlike anticipation each year to see which scripts film executives have really been buzzing over — but haven’t had the budget or the chutzpah to put into production just yet.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 10 Dec. 2024
The catching situation remains in flux as the club waits to see how Hunter Goodman and Drew Romo develop.
—Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post, 19 Oct. 2024
Denver Nicks, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2025
The bus service’s long waits also caused crowding and loitering in the area, spokeswoman Pauline Haberman said at the time.
—Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 5 Sep. 2025
Approximately 40% of families report being stuck on childcare waitlists, with average waits stretching to six months.
—Jennifer Jay Palumbo, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Each year, tens of thousands of people must leave the desert via a two-lane road, often producing multi-hour waits.
—Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
Admission will include access (and shorter waits) for Volcano Bay’s slides, body plunges, lazy river and the Krakatau Aqua Coaster that winds through the park and its centerpiece volcano structure.
—Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Aug. 2025
Large power transformers now face lead times ranging from 80 to 210 weeks, with some utilities confronting nearly four-year waits.
—Tejasri Gururaj, Interesting Engineering, 13 Aug. 2025
There was never a shortage of food, or long waits to get your meal.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2025
Today, Joe’s draws Disney World-level crowds and hour-long waits.
—Kansas City Star, 8 Aug. 2025
Verb
Unlike traditional applications requiring instant responses, AI operations can tolerate delays—training waits minutes while applications like ChatGPT work perfectly, delivering responses over hundreds of milliseconds.
—Daniel Kearney, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2025
More than a thousand miles away in New Delhi, Mohammad waits for his daughter, powerless to save her for a second time from the horrors faced by their community in Myanmar.
—Esha Mitra, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2025
Charlotte now waits to see if the playoff berth is official.
—Colin Cerniglia, Charlotte Observer, 14 Sep. 2025
Thinking of his estranged teenage son and terminally ill mother, McKay waits and waits before answering the call.
—Andy Hazel, IndieWire, 8 Sep. 2025
The world waits for a compelling example of humanoid robots saving a customer money in a defensible way.
—Jeff Mahler, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
Compiled annually by a group led by Franklin Leonard, a recipient of a Gotham tribute award this year, Variety waits with childlike anticipation each year to see which scripts film executives have really been buzzing over — but haven’t had the budget or the chutzpah to put into production just yet.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 10 Dec. 2024
The catching situation remains in flux as the club waits to see how Hunter Goodman and Drew Romo develop.
—Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post, 19 Oct. 2024
Noun
One pack moves several miles down the road while the pack behind it sits and waits.
—Denver Nicks, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2025
The bus service’s long waits also caused crowding and loitering in the area, spokeswoman Pauline Haberman said at the time.
—Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 5 Sep. 2025
Approximately 40% of families report being stuck on childcare waitlists, with average waits stretching to six months.
—Jennifer Jay Palumbo, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Each year, tens of thousands of people must leave the desert via a two-lane road, often producing multi-hour waits.
—Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
Admission will include access (and shorter waits) for Volcano Bay’s slides, body plunges, lazy river and the Krakatau Aqua Coaster that winds through the park and its centerpiece volcano structure.
—Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Aug. 2025
Large power transformers now face lead times ranging from 80 to 210 weeks, with some utilities confronting nearly four-year waits.
—Tejasri Gururaj, Interesting Engineering, 13 Aug. 2025
There was never a shortage of food, or long waits to get your meal.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2025
Today, Joe’s draws Disney World-level crowds and hour-long waits.
—Kansas City Star, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waits
Verb
-
And, as befits this lively city, the bar stays open until 4 AM.—
Laurie Werner,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Rice starch still sops up oil and beefs up strands, but with an even airier spray that stays invisible and smells softly fruity and floral.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
An alleged cyberattack targeting a company that manages check-in and boarding systems for airlines caused delays and cancellations at Europe’s busiest airports on Saturday.—
Richard Hall,
Time,
20 Sep. 2025
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The Ferrari Club of America gathering at Ballantyne Country Club could cause delays during club events Monday morning and afternoon, NCDOT spokeswoman Jen Goodwin told The Charlotte Observer.—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The state has many fall hotspots that offer colorful autumn landscapes and crisp fall weather, providing the perfect escape from the metro Phoenix heat that typically lingers into October.—
Laura Daniella Sepulveda,
AZCentral.com,
19 Sep. 2025
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The finish opens with a maltiness that quickly shifts to honey, followed by a touch of cinnamon and a sweet oak that lingers for a few seconds before turning much drier.—
Chris Perugini,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The case has heightened scrutiny on online radicalization, campus security and the nation's political climate as Robinson awaits trial.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
-
The bill subsequently passed both chambers and awaits Governor Gavin Newsom’s signature.—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Police have declared there is no ongoing threat to public safety but emphasized that the shooting remains under active investigation.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Sep. 2025
-
Following his groundbreaking win, DiMarco launched the Nyle DiMarco Foundation and remains a powerful advocate for deaf culture and representation in film and TV.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Waits.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waits. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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