wait for the dust to settle

verb

To let a situation calm down, become clear or certain, before taking any action.

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Meanings

verbwait for the dust to settle (third-person singular simple present waits for the dust to settle, present participle waiting for the dust to settle, simple past and past participle waited for the dust to settle)

present singular third person waits for the dust to settle · participle present waiting for the dust to settle · participle past waited for the dust to settle · past waited for the dust to settle

  1. idiomaticTo let a situation calm down, become clear or certain, before taking any action.
Cite this entry
APA

wait for the dust to settle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wait%20for%20the%20dust%20to%20settle

MLA

“wait for the dust to settle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wait%20for%20the%20dust%20to%20settle. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “wait for the dust to settle,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wait%20for%20the%20dust%20to%20settle.

Source: wait for the dust to settle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.