To remain loyal to someone, to keep a promise, or to be ready to act when needed.
To stay with someone and support them, or to be ready and waiting.
4 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
To remain loyal to a person or continue to support them, especially in difficult times.
"Her friends stood by her throughout the entire court case."
I'll stand by you, no matter what they say.
— Ben E. King, 'Stand by Me' (song, 1961)
To continue to support or refuse to change a previous statement, decision, or promise.
"The minister stood by her earlier comments despite widespread criticism."
To be ready and waiting to act or help when needed.
"Emergency crews are standing by in case the storm causes flooding tonight."
Standby for breaking news.
— Common broadcast journalism phrase, widely used by CNN, BBC, etc.
To watch something wrong happen without taking action to stop it.
"We cannot stand by and do nothing while the environment is being destroyed."
To stand next to someone or something — mostly transparent.
To stay with someone and support them, or to be ready and waiting.
Used in aviation and military contexts to mean 'be ready' (e.g., 'Standby for takeoff'). Also very common in everyday contexts to mean loyalty. 'Stand by your guns' is a related idiom meaning to maintain your position.
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Listen to native speakers using "stand by" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.