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stick around — to stay in a place for a period of time

phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+informalcommon

to remain in a place and not leave, usually for a short while, often to wait for something or someone.

Say it like a native

Textbook Would you be willing to remain here for a while longer?

Native Do you want to stick around for a bit?

'Stick around' is casual spoken; 'remain here' is formal.

Pattern: stick around (somewhere/for something)

In use

  • You can stick around after the meeting if you have any questions.daily life
  • If I finish my exam early, I usually stick around to check my answers before handing in the paper.IELTS speaking

Common mistake

✗ Stick around to the end of the show.

✓ Stick around until the end of the show.

'Stick around until/till', not 'to'.

Common collocations

  • stick around — for a bit, until, a while, long enough

Don't confuse it

Compare with 'hang around', which also means to stay somewhere, but 'stick around' often suggests waiting for a reason.

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