stay behind
idiom
: to not leave at the present time
You can go on ahead. I'll stay behind to help clean up.
Examples of stay behind in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Mark and Gemma race through those hallways toward an exit, but in a crushing turn of events, innie Mark pushes Gemma out the door, hesitates and then decides to stay behind.
—
Gary Levin, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2025
But while Bobby’s older brother, Charlie, went with their mom, Bobby chose to stay behind.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2025
The five others were scheduled to return to the United States on Friday but opted to stay behind to aid in the search, Julia said.
—Doha Madani, NBC News, 9 Mar. 2025
Among the many reasons the high-profile dispute has fixated Hollywood is the ensnaring of public relations firms that typically stay behind the scenes.
—Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stay behind
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.
Gary Levin, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2025
But while Bobby’s older brother, Charlie, went with their mom, Bobby chose to stay behind.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2025
The five others were scheduled to return to the United States on Friday but opted to stay behind to aid in the search, Julia said.
—Doha Madani, NBC News, 9 Mar. 2025
Among the many reasons the high-profile dispute has fixated Hollywood is the ensnaring of public relations firms that typically stay behind the scenes.
—Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stay behind
Cite this Entry
“Stay behind.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stay%20behind. Accessed 30 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share