whistle-stop

1 of 2

noun

whis·​tle-stop ˈ(h)wi-səl-ˌstäp 

often attributive

1

a

: a small station at which trains stop only on signal : flag stop

b

: a small community

2

: a brief personal appearance especially by a political candidate usually on the rear platform of a train during the course of a tour

whistle-stop

2 of 2

verb

whistle-stopped; whistle-stopping; whistle-stops

intransitive verb

: to make a tour especially in a political campaign with many brief personal appearances in small communities

Synonyms

Noun

• bourg
• hamlet
• townlet
• vill
• village

Examples of whistle-stop in a Sentence

Noun

for that all-important primary election, candidates are willing to go to every whistle-stop in the state

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

As ever, this year’s lineup offers a snapshot of film festival highlights, taking us on a whistle-stop tour of the big five — Sundance, Berlin, Cannes, Venice and Toronto — with titles that made an impact at events in Warsaw, Thessaloniki, Taipei, Locarno, Málaga, Haugesund and Karlovy Vary. —Damon Wise, Deadline, 7 Dec. 2024

On Monday, the last day before the election, Harris finally came to Allentown for a whistle-stop rally. —Julia Preston, The New Yorker, 30 Nov. 2024

Meanwhile, his publishers have arranged a whistle-stop book tour through the US. —Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2024

Taking a whistle-stop tour down memory lane, the pair will uncover secrets from each other’s past in The Odd Couple, sharing funny and heart-warming stories along the way. —Max Goldbart, Deadline, 25 July 2024

Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, has openly criticized Orban’s whistle-stop diplomatic tour. —Mikhail Klimentov, Washington Post, 16 July 2024

Growing up in a whistle-stop Oklahoma town, Turner’s introduction to the world of publishing was second nature — his father Fred owned and ran the local newspaper, which is where the younger Turner got his start as a cub photographer. —Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 26 June 2024

Biden is following Truman’s whistle-stop campaign strategy to vigorously advance an inclusive agenda. —Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 12 Apr. 2024

Soon after the ethics investigation, Ms. Haley went on a whistle-stop tour of the state promoting an ethics overhaul. —Alexandra Berzon, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1925, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1952, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for whistle-stop

• barbershop
• countertop
• lollipop
• mountaintop
• overtop
• photoshop
• tabletop
• turboprop
• atop
• backdrop
• backstop
• bebop