Definitions

1. noun

a person or thing that is ready to take over a task or role in case of an emergency or if the current one fails.

“The backup engineer was on standby in case the main engineer couldn’t make it to the meeting.”

2. adjective

available or ready to be used at a moment’s notice.

“The company has a standby team of employees who can be called in for overtime work during peak periods.”

3. verb

to be ready to take action or be prepared in case something happens.

“The emergency services were standing by in case of a natural disaster.”

4. verb (transitive)

to keep something in a state of readiness or preparedness.

“The company is standing by its decision to invest in the new technology.”