stand to
C1 formal inseparable intransitive
In simple words
A military order for soldiers to get ready for a possible attack.
Literal meaning: To stand up to a position of readiness.
Meanings
1 C1
idiomatic
formal
(Military) To take up a prepared defensive position and be fully alert and ready for action.
"The sergeant ordered his platoon to stand to at 0500 hours, just before first light."
Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes
Primarily a military term. 'Stand-to' (noun, hyphenated) refers to the period when soldiers man their positions at the times when attacks are most likely (dawn and dusk). Rarely encountered outside military contexts.
Commonly used with
dawn dusk soldiers troops positions alert
Forms
Base
stand to
I/you/we/they
3rd person
stands to
he/she/it
Past simple
stood to
yesterday
Past participle
stood to
have + pp
-ing form
standing to
continuous
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Synonyms
man positions take alert stand ready go to battle stations
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