stay on

phrasal verb

stayed on; staying on; stays on

: to continue to work at a job

She thought about retiring, but she finally decided to stay on for a few more years.

After she graduated, she stayed on at the college, working in the alumnae office.

: to continue taking (a medication, drug, etc.)

I have to stay on the antibiotics for a full two weeks.

Examples of stay on in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Moore has stayed on as a consultant on the chief’s search and technology upgrades, earning $20,000 a month, according to a contract approved by the commission. —

Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2024 Some of his wife’s relatives will stay on the island. —

Matías Delacroix and Juan Zamorano, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 June 2024 Eighteen months ago, homes in the booming suburbs north of Nashville wouldn’t even stay on the market for a day, said Don Hackford, a real estate agent in Hendersonville, Tennessee. —

Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 1 June 2024 When triggered, the lights stay on for around 24 to 25 seconds and will turn off by themselves if no further motion is detected. —

Nor'adila Hepburn, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for stay on

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stay on.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.