- a person or thing that can always be used if needed, for example if somebody/something else is not available or if there is an emergency
- I always keep a pizza in the freezer as a standby.
- a standby electricity generator
- Wilson has been called into the squad as a standby.
- A dark suit is a useful standby for any formal occasion.
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Idioms
See standby in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionaryon standby
- ready to do something immediately if needed or asked
- The emergency services were put on standby after a bomb warning.
- As the level of the water rose, villages were put on evacuation standby.
- The troops are on 24-hour standby (= ready to move at any time of the day or night).
- ready to travel or go somewhere if a ticket or something that is needed suddenly becomes available
- He was put on standby for the flight to New York.
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standby