Phrasal Verbs with Wait – Meaning & Examples

This article will see phrasal verbs starting with the word “Wait.”

List of Phrasal verbs with Wait

The list of phrasal verbs that start with the word “Wait” is as follows.

1. Wait around/Wait about
2. Wait behind
3. Wait for
4. Wait in
5. Wait on
6. Wait out
7. Wait up
8. Wait upon

Let us see the meaning of each phrasal verb with Wait and their usage in a sentence.

1. Wait around/Wait about

Wait around/Wait about meaning: To stay in a place and do nothing while you wait for someone to arrive or something to happen.

Using Wait around/Wait about in a sentence:

• I don’t want to wait around/about for the bus. Let’s take a taxi.
• I had to wait about for an hour at the doctor’s office.
• The employees were told to wait around until the meeting was over.
• I don’t want to wait around for you, so let’s meet at the restaurant.
• She said she would wait about for him until he arrived.
• We were stuck waiting around at the airport for our flight.
• I hate waiting around for public transportation. It’s always so unreliable.
• I can’t wait around all day for you. I have things to do.
• We were waiting around for the results of the test.
• I don’t want to wait around for the bus. It takes too long.
• She had to wait around for her friend to finish shopping.
• I’m tired of waiting around for him to make a decision.
• They were waiting around for the store to open.
• I’m not going to wait around for you. I’m leaving.
• He was waiting around for the phone to ring.
• We were waiting around for the rain to stop.
• I had to wait around for my appointment to start.
• She said she wouldn’t wait around for him anymore.
• I hate waiting around for people who are always late.
• They were waiting around for their friends to arrive.

2. Wait behind

Wait behind meaning: to stay in a place after all the other people have left

Using Wait behind in a sentence:

• Please wait behind until the teacher is ready.
• I’ll wait behind for you after class.
• The students were asked to wait behind for further instructions.
• I can’t leave until he arrives, so I’ll wait behind.
• The employees were told to wait behind for the meeting to start.
• Let’s wait behind and see what happens.
• I’ll wait behind you while you go ahead and finish the task.
• She told me to wait behind while she went to the store.
• Can you wait behind for a minute while I make a phone call?
• I’ll wait behind and give you a ride home.
• The doctor asked the patient to wait behind for the results.
• We’ll wait behind for the bus to arrive.
• I don’t want to be late, so I’ll wait behind for you.
• Can you wait behind and help me with the bags?
• I’ll wait behind and make sure the door is locked.
• They asked us to wait behind while they investigated the issue.
• I’ll wait behind while you go and check on the kids.
• Can you wait behind and give me a hand with this heavy box?
• I’ll wait behind you and keep an eye on the car while you run in.
• The waiter asked the diners to wait behind him while he cleared the table.

3. Wait for

Wait for meaning: If someone is waiting for someone or something, they expect them and prepare to deal with them.

Using Wait for in a sentence:

• I’ll wait for you at the bus stop.
• Can you wait for me to finish my work before we go?
• She’s waiting for her husband to arrive at the airport.
• I can’t wait for the weekend to start.
• He’s waiting for the rain to stop before going outside.
• They are waiting for the results of the test.
• If you miss this one, you’ll have to wait for the next train.
• I’m waiting for my friend to call back.
• She’s waiting for the right moment to tell him the truth.
• We’re waiting for the green light to proceed.
• I must wait for the paint to dry before adding another coat.
• They are waiting for a better opportunity to invest their money.
• I’ll wait for you outside the movie theater.
• She’s waiting for her turn to speak.
• He’s waiting for the confirmation of his booking.
• I’m waiting for the doctor to examine me.
• They are waiting for their order to arrive at the restaurant.
• I’ll wait for you to finish shopping and then we’ll go home.
• She’s waiting for a call from the job she applied for.
• He’s waiting for the weather to improve before going on a hike.

4. Wait in

Wait in meaning: to stay at home because you are expecting someone or something to arrive or someone to telephone you.

Using Wait in in a sentence:

• I need to wait in line for the bus.
• She asked me to wait in the car for her.
• Can you wait in the reception area until your appointment starts?
• The passengers were asked to wait in the departure lounge.
• I’ll wait in the park for you to finish your work.
• The doctor asked the patient to wait in the examination room.
• The children were told to wait in the playground.
• I’ll wait in the library for you to finish your exam.
• Can you please wait in the car until I finish shopping?
• The judge asked the witnesses to wait in the courtroom.
• We need to wait in the queue for our turn to play the game.
• Can you wait in the living room while I prepare dinner?
• The tourists were told to wait in the hotel lobby.
• I’ll wait in the coffee shop for you to arrive.
• The teacher asked the students to wait in the classroom.
• Can you wait in the hallway until your name is called?
• The runners were told to wait in the starting line.
• I’ll wait in the bookstore for you to finish browsing.
• The police asked the suspect to wait in the interview room.
• Can you wait in the hospital waiting room while I see the doctor?

5. Wait on

Wait on meaning: to serve food and drink, especially to customers in a restaurant.

Using Wait on in a sentence:

• She’s been waiting on her husband to arrive for hours.
• Can you wait on the customers while I grab a quick lunch?
• The server was busy waiting on tables all night.
• I’ll wait on your answer until you’ve had a chance to think it over.
• She was waiting on the edge of her seat for the big announcement.
• I’ll wait on you at the airport terminal.
• The waiter was waiting on us, hand and foot.
• I don’t want to wait on this decision any longer.
• The store is closed for renovations, so we’ll have to wait to shop.
• They had to wait on the train for over an hour due to signal problems.
• I’m waiting on my friend to call before we make plans.
• She’s been waiting on a promotion for years.
• I’ll wait on the results of the medical test before making a decision.
• The patient is still waiting on the doctor’s diagnosis.
• I’ll wait on you outside the movie theater.
• They were waiting on the birth of their first child.
• The chef is waiting on the delivery of fresh ingredients.
• We can’t start the project until we wait on approval from the boss.
• The class was waiting on the arrival of the guest speaker.
• I’m waiting on a response from the college regarding my admission status.

6. Wait out

Wait out meaning: To wait until something unpleasant has ended

Using Wait out in a sentence:

• She decided to wait out the storm in the car.
• They waited out the quarantine in their home.
• I think it’s best to wait out this situation and see how it develops.
• The hikers had to wait out the night in the cave.
• The soldiers were instructed to wait out the enemy’s attack.
• She waited out the contract and then quit her job.
• The team decided to wait out the overtime and play for the win.
• The patients waited out their treatments in the waiting room.
• They waited out the power cut in the dark.
• I’ll wait out the traffic and leave for work later.
• The tourists waited out the long lines at the museum.
• The partygoers waited out the rain and continued dancing.
• We waited out of the traffic jam and finally arrived at our destination.
• The students waited out the exam and reviewed their answers afterward.
• The dog waited out the storm under the porch.
• The family waited out the evacuation order and stayed put.
• The CEO waited out the stock market crash and made a fortune.
• The fishermen waited out the rough sea and caught more fish.
• The athlete waited out the injury and came back stronger.
• The visitors waited out the security check and entered the building.

7. Wait up

Wait up meaning: To not go to bed at night because you are expecting someone to arrive.

Using Wait up in a sentence:

• I can’t wait up for you tonight. I have an early morning tomorrow.
• Don’t wait up for me. I’ll be home late.
• She asked him to wait up while she went to get her phone.
• He decided not to wait up and went straight to bed.
• We had to wait up for hours until they arrived.
• She wouldn’t wait up and fell asleep on the couch.
• I’ll wait up for your call.
• We agreed to wait up for the results of the election.
• Don’t wait up. I’ll let myself in.
• He told his parents not to wait up for him.
• I’m too tired to wait up for you.
• We had to wait up for the repairman to fix the washing machine.
• I’m sorry I made you wait up for me.
• He refused to wait up for his friend and went to bed.
• I won’t wait up for her. She’s always late.
• They had to wait up for the ambulance to arrive.
• I’ll wait up for your return from the business trip.
• She suggested they wait up for the meteor shower.
• He didn’t want to wait up and went for a walk instead.
• Don’t worry. I’ll wait up for you no matter how late it gets.

8. Wait upon

Wait upon meaning: wait for, bring somebody everything he wants or arrives

Using Wait upon in a sentence:

• She waited upon the guests to ensure their needs were met.
• The waiter waited upon the tables with great care and attention.
• The servant waited upon the king with the finest dishes.
• She waited upon the customers in the boutique with a smile.
• The store assistant waited upon the customer’s request for assistance.
• The valet waited upon the car owner with the keys.
• The nurse waited upon the patients with compassion and professionalism.
• The chef waited upon the diners with the freshly cooked meal.
• The bellboy waited upon the guests with their luggage.
• The host waited upon the guests in the hotel lobby.
• The server waited upon the diners with their drink orders.
• The servant waited upon the princess with her breakfast tray.