stand aside

phrasal verb

stood aside; standing aside; stands aside
1
: to move to the left or right with one step or a few small steps
Please stand aside and let me pass.
2
: to allow something to happen : to not try to stop someone from doing something
I'm not going to stand aside and watch you ruin your life.

Examples of stand aside in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Opposition parties have failed to form a united front against Biya, who has rejected calls to stand aside amid speculation about his health. semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2025 This means you’ll be asked to stand aside and wait for an available security officer, Maestas noted. Jillian Dara, Travel + Leisure, 13 Sep. 2025 Hard to see much edge in trading Nvidia ahead of tomorrow's quarterly results, but a couple of observations: Its sheer heft means investors might simply be standing aside before setting new bets . Michael Santoli, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2025 The owner, Johnson Wheatley, opened the door and stood aside, hand still on the doorknob. Annie Proulx, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2025 And stand aside, Adult Bobby, because G.H. has returned as a teen to give Hank another opportunity to pull out his most famous catchphrase. Genevieve Koski, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2025 There's an outside chance that Kirk realized his first officer was a threat to his own infamously prolific love life, and ordered him to stand aside. Richard Edwards, Space.com, 31 July 2025 During the years after the Civil War, America embraced an economic philosophy called laissez-faire, celebrating the notion that government should stand aside and let capitalism work. Dan Flores, Time, 29 May 2025 Republicans who stand aside from the MAGA fold look at the situation rather ruefully — and as one emblematic of a broader pattern. Niall Stanage, The Hill, 9 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Stand aside.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stand%20aside. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

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