wait out

Idioms and Phrases

Delay until the end of something, as in They waited out the war in Paris . This expression comes from baseball, where it alludes to the batter refraining from swinging at pitches in the hope of being walked (getting to first base on balls). It was first recorded in 1909 and was transferred to other activities by the 1930s.

Example Sentences

Sylvester Fernandez, 73, planned to wait out the hurricane at his home in Homestead near Miami, but early Wednesday was woken by the sound of a warning on his phone.

From BBC

President Joe Biden and state authorities had urged people to heed official evacuation warnings before Helene hit, though some chose to stay in their homes to wait out the storm.

From BBC

Those who chose to stay stocked up with food to wait out the storm.

From BBC

Residents near Lake Elsinore wait out the flames as the Airport fire burns tens of thousands of acres.

From Los Angeles Times

So, after each series of rounds, they head to a dugout to wait out Russia’s counter barrage.

From BBC

Related Words

• accept
• bleed
• encounter
• experience
• feel
• go through
• have
• hurt
• know
• receive
• see
• support
• sustain
• take
• undergo