to make a stand
23
4.6
- phrasal verb
:
plantarse
- The community decided to make a stand against the proposed law during the town hall meeting.
The Battle of Kra was the real final battle where the Germans made a stand at the Kra River.
- The Battle of Kra was the real final battle where the Germans made a stand at the Kra River.
- Maybe people are seeing this, and Harvard is going to make a stand.
- Some of the left wing progressive movements saw this as an opportunity to to make a stand.
- I mean, it's there's certain areas that it feels really comfortable because I'm like willing to make a stand.
- Here the Romanians, fortified by Russian help, made a stand on the range of hills lying South of Tergoujou, the first important town South of the mountains.
- But you felt you had to make a stand and go out of the comedy persona and into the real world and go actually, this is wrong.
Examples
-
I am an old man; it was time for me to make a stand.
Fiction book (2001) -
When students observe teachers making a stand against bullying and harassment, they recognize your intention for a safe classroom.
Academic text (2011) -
When have you ever made a stand on anything?
-
We need to make a stand!
-
I say we make a stand.
-
We have to make a stand.
-
We have to make a stand here.
-
We gotta make a stand.
-
In every society, we need somebody to basically try and make a stand.
Academic text (1995) -
Administrators must make a stand and do the right thing when it comes to retention.
Academic text (1996)
Synonyms
∞
2.7
To have a particular opinion on something
293
3.2
To defend yourself when someone treats you unfairly
220
3.4
To say your opinion or feelings openly even when it is difficult
135
3.1
Give your opinion clearly and firmly even when it is difficult
74
3.2
Join a public protest to show strong opposition
25
5.7
To keep your position when others disagree
22
3.7
Keep your decision or opinion when others try to make you change
4
6.4
Refuse to change your mind when others disagree
2
7.9
To keep the same opinion or decision and not change it
1
4.4
To state an opinion strongly and refuse to change it when others disagree
1
5.4
Keep doing what you believe is right even when it is hard
How Firm
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly derivable from combining 'make' (to cause or create) with 'stand' (a position or to hold a position): to create or adopt a firm position. This is a common, compositional pattern (cf. 'take a stand') and is cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
Make a stand comes from the image of someone planting their feet and refusing to move; they make a stand in one place to face others. So, it now means to take a firm position and 'support' or 'oppose' something.