sit out

sit out idiom
  1. Also, sit through. Stay until the end of, as in We decided to sit out the lecture instead of leaving early, or He was only eight when he sat through an entire opera—and it lasted nearly five hours. [Early 1700s]
  2. Refrain from taking part in, as in Jane's foot hurt so she sat out the last three dances. [Mid-1600s]
  3. Outlast, outstay, as in He sat out all the other guests, hoping to get a word alone with the host. [Mid-1700s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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