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Glite Dictionary
to stay put

to stay put

133 2.0
Remain in the same place without moving
  • phrasal verb
  • /steɪ pʊt/
  • Informal
translation icon : quedarse en el mismo lugar
  • The teacher asked the students to stay put until the fire drill was over.
  • simply stay put

Creamy and melting formula stays put all day with no smudging.

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Examples

  • Tell her to stay put till I get back, not to move.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • I'll stay put in the car.

    The End We Start From (2023)

  • Or you might stay put, option one here waiting for that person.

  • The rest of you, stay put.

    Four (2011)

  • Everybody just stay put, all right?

    Striptease (1996)

  • Next time, you just stay put till I find you," the relieved corporal said.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • I think everyone's better off if I just stay put.

    Thunderbolts* (2025)

  • Now, stay put, do not answer the door for anyone, Right, you'll know it's me when I arrive.

    Tina and Lori (2021)

  • We couldn't see any other bears in the area, so we decided to stay put.

    Academic text (2003)

  • Just stay put.

    Rites of Passage (2012)

Synonyms

to stay
vsto stay put
∞ 1.0

To remain in one place and not leave

is specifically about staying fixed in one position and not moving
to remain
vsto stay put
∞ 1.0

To stay in the same place or state and not change

is more about not moving from a spot than general continuation
to stick
vsto stay put
∞ 3.5

To stay loyal to someone or a group

relates only to physical non-movement without relational meanings
to stick around
vsto stay put
  • Informal
332 2.9

Stay in a place to wait for something

means not moving without implying waiting for an event
to linger
vsto stay put
207 3.7

To stay in a place longer than expected because you do not want to leave

denotes simple lack of movement without the extra reluctance sense
to stay on
vsto stay put
111 3.4

To remain in a place or job after others leave

means not moving or leaving at the moment without that timing nuance
to stand still
vsto stay put
75 1.0

Stay upright in one place without moving

covers staying in one position regardless of upright posture
to sit still
vsto stay put
66 1.0

Stay seated without moving

is about not moving in any posture, not only while seated
to persist
vsto stay put
  • Formal
18 5.2

To stay in a place for a long time

is informal and used for everyday not moving in place
to hold steady
vsto stay put
17 2.9

Keep something or someone in place and still

describes being unmoving oneself rather than actively holding something steady
to stay in place
vsto stay put
10 1.5

Not move from a place

focuses on staying fixed in the same position rather than general presence
to stick about
vsto stay put
  • UK
4.1

Stay nearby or wait in a place for a short time

refers to not leaving at all rather than brief availability
to rester
vsto stay put
5.3

To stay in one place and not go with others

refers more narrowly to not moving from the same position

Antonyms

to move
∞ 1.0

Change position or place

to depart
176 1.3

To leave a place to start a journey

How Still

to stay put
  • Informal
133 2.0
to stay
∞ 1.0
to linger
207 3.7

Surface Forms

stay put infinitive
stayed put past
stayed put past participle
staying put present participle
stays put third person singular

Morphology

stay + put

The meaning 'to remain in the same place' is directly derivable from combining 'stay' (to remain) with 'put' (place), essentially meaning 'stay in the place you are put'. This compositional interpretation follows normal English patterns and would be predictable to a B1 learner who knows both constituent words.

Etymology

The phrase stay put may come from the simple image of being put in a spot and told to stay there. So, that image explains why it means 'to stay in the same place and not move'.