wait out
(redirected from waits out)wait out
To wait to take action until something else subsides or ends. A noun or pronoun can be used between "wait" and "out." We decided to stay at the restaurant and wait out the storm.
wait something out
to wait until something ends. I will wait the summer out, and if nothing happens, I'll write again. I can wait out the storm inside.
wait out
Delay until the end of something, as in They waited out the war in Paris. This expression comes from baseball, where it alludes to the batter refraining from swinging at pitches in the hope of being walked (getting to first base on balls). It was first recorded in 1909 and was transferred to other activities by the 1930s.
wait out
v.
To delay until the termination of something: I waited out the war in the countryside. The baseball team waited the storm out and resumed playing an hour later.