stay 1 of 4

verb (1)

Definition of staynext
1
as in to remain
to continue to be in a place for a significant amount of time let's stay inside this pavilion until it stops raining

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to stop
to bring (something) to a standstill stay the trial until this new evidence has been processed

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to wait
to remain in place in readiness or expectation of something we'll stay for a while longer and see if anyone shows up

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4
as in to visit
to reside as a temporary guest let's stay at a quaint inn rather than at some generic motel

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

stay

2 of 4

verb (2)

as in to sustain
to hold up or serve as a foundation for beams being used to stay the bridge while it is undergoing repairs

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stay

3 of 4

noun (1)

1
as in visit
a temporary residing as another's guest my mother-in-law is coming for a brief stay next week

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2
as in cessation
the stopping of a process or activity we must work without stay if we are ever to reach our goal of equal rights for everyone

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

stay

4 of 4

noun (2)

as in support
a structure that holds up or serves as a foundation for something else a free press is one of the principal stays of a democratic society

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word stay distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of stay are defer, postpone, and suspend. While all these words mean "to delay an action or proceeding," stay often suggests the stopping or checking by an intervening agency or authority.

the governor stayed the execution

When might defer be a better fit than stay?

The words defer and stay are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, defer implies a deliberate putting off to a later time.

deferred buying a car until spring

When would postpone be a good substitute for stay?

The meanings of postpone and stay largely overlap; however, postpone implies an intentional deferring usually to a definite time.

the game is postponed until Saturday

Where would suspend be a reasonable alternative to stay?

The words suspend and stay can be used in similar contexts, but suspend implies temporary stoppage with an added suggestion of waiting until some condition is satisfied.

business will be suspended while repairs are underway

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 stay
Verb
Your best bet is to stay grounded and avoid getting pulled into other people’s drama. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026 Pittsburgh opened five temporary cooling centers to help residents stay safe. — Finch Walker, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
Noun
Visitors can purchase tickets to the attraction or book an overnight stay through the resort's holiday packages. — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026 The plan was for Diana and Marks to fly with British Airways, which had been alerted that a VIP guest would be on their manifest from London to Milan, and settle in for a two-night stay at the city’s Four Seasons hotel. — Allie Merriam, Vanity Fair, 1 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stay
  1. remain
  2. stop
  3. wait
  4. visit
  5. sustain
  6. cessation
  7. support
  8. halt
Verb
  • Following the closure of Farfetch, LVMH purchased a 60% majority stake in the brand in July 2021, while the remaining 40% remained the property of Abloh, who had become LV men’s creative director in 2018.
    — Luke Leitch, Vogue, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The few remaining workers maintaining the plant, however, received those benefits upon ratification.
    — Jackie Charniga, Freep.com, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of remain
Verb
  • The new rules mandated that referees stop play for a ten-minute hydration break that allows players to drink fluids, change clothes, or shower in their locker room.
    — Aaron Short, Curbed, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The team stopped at 800 N because increasing the load further would require additional protective equipment, with a separate destructive limit test planned.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of stop
Verb
  • As families wait for news about their relatives, damaged roads, power outages and fears of further flooding have hampered rescue efforts.
    — Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Marty Zweben Palos Verdes Estates Time for change The Dodgers look completely listless, and waiting for slumping veterans like Teoscar Hernández and Kyle Tucker to snap out of it is a losing strategy.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of wait
Verb
  • Chinese state media, including the Communist Party's flagship newspaper, People's Daily, gave extensive coverage to Xi's encounters with other visiting leaders on Tuesday, but made no mention of the meeting with Pezeshkian.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Van Noy visited the team’s TCO Performance Center on Tuesday.
    — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of visit
Verb
  • For crews responsible for sustaining the Minuteman III fleet, that capability could prove valuable as the system’s service life continues.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The midfielder turned right-back sustained the damage during Sunday’s 4-3 defeat at Chelsea after he was struck in the face by the ball.
    — Andy Naylor, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of sustain
Noun
  • Those commitments should be included in a framework agreement, signed by all sides, which outlines the core elements of an eventual peace and enables a cessation of hostilities.
    — Matt Waldman, Foreign Affairs, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Texas law defines brain death as the irreversible cessation of brain function.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of cessation
Noun
  • Yet, earlier this month, I, my fellow editors and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration personnel were informed that support for the Arctic Report Card — our flagship annual report since 2006 — is canceled.
    — Twila Moon, Washington Post, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Demographic experts are cautiously optimistic about the new scheme, which appears to offer more sustained and holistic support for families.
    — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of support
Verb
  • Tribes whose historic homelands fall within the forest became leading voices in the effort to halt logging, with the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians’ Priscilla Hunter emerging as a major force.
    — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • But since February, its progress has halted, said Leo Rossignac-Milon, the co-founder of Track My Visa, a third-party service that monitors applications for 25,000 users.
    — Ignacio Calderon, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of halt

Phrases Containing stay

Browse Nearby Words

staving off
stay
stay (at)
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Cite this Entry

“Stay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stay. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on stay

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about stay

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