1
as in anticipating
to believe in the future occurrence of (something)
members of the sect are confidently awaiting the imminent end of the world
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in waiting
to remain in place in readiness or expectation of something
crowds had been awaiting in the streets for hours
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of awaiting
Before being found not guilty by a jury in October 2025, Joshua George spent nearly four years behind bars awaiting trial, facing the possibility of the death penalty if convicted.
—
Erika Stanish, CBS News, 11 June 2026
The deal is awaiting regulatory approval, but officials in several state states recently announced plans to try to block the merger.
—Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
The company has stacks of satellites—each a little more than a half-ton in mass—awaiting rides to space on Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket and United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan launch vehicle.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 9 June 2026
The men are being held in the Harvey County Detention Center awaiting transfer to Wyandotte County.
—Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 9 June 2026
The June 5 missive obtained by Deadline was responding to a White Paper the Teamsters submitted to the DOJ in March laying out concerns around the merger, which is awaiting a green light from the regulator.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 9 June 2026
One of the six also escaped, and the others are in a Lebanese jail awaiting trial, the judicial officials said.
—ABC News, 9 June 2026
Dandrae Martin died in 2024 at the Sacramento County Main Jail while awaiting trial in the case.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 4 June 2026
Disability claims and appeals could be delayed, creating financial hardships for those awaiting decisions.
—Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025
Erika Stanish, CBS News, 11 June 2026
The deal is awaiting regulatory approval, but officials in several state states recently announced plans to try to block the merger.
—Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
The company has stacks of satellites—each a little more than a half-ton in mass—awaiting rides to space on Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket and United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan launch vehicle.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 9 June 2026
The men are being held in the Harvey County Detention Center awaiting transfer to Wyandotte County.
—Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 9 June 2026
The June 5 missive obtained by Deadline was responding to a White Paper the Teamsters submitted to the DOJ in March laying out concerns around the merger, which is awaiting a green light from the regulator.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 9 June 2026
One of the six also escaped, and the others are in a Lebanese jail awaiting trial, the judicial officials said.
—ABC News, 9 June 2026
Dandrae Martin died in 2024 at the Sacramento County Main Jail while awaiting trial in the case.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 4 June 2026
Disability claims and appeals could be delayed, creating financial hardships for those awaiting decisions.
—Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for awaiting
Verb
-
Tech’s support of Sorsby is resulting in a backlash the school was not anticipating.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 June 2026
-
By dramatically lowering prices, the company’s reportedly hoping to steal users, while also anticipating similar price cuts by its competitor.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Employees had been waiting for an all-clear as hazmat teams worked to confirm the cause.—
Stephen Smith,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
-
That doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of backlash waiting.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
In an excerpt, published by The Wall Street Journal, from his forthcoming book, the vice president — who is currently expecting his fourth child with his wife — wrote about how Kirk’s fatal shooting at age 31 in Utah in September became a factor in Usha's decision to have another baby.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
7 June 2026
-
But, so far, the numbers show there may not be the overwhelming demand the tourism industry was expecting.—
Brandon Truitt,
CBS News,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Awaiting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/awaiting. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
