as in to hesitate
to come to a temporary halt in one's activity
he paused for a moment to regain his composure
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in lull
a momentary halt in an activity
there was a brief pause for applause in her speech
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hesitation
a state or an instance of temporary inaction because of uncertainty about the right course of action
the question caught the professor off guard, and there was a pause before he responded
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pause
Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 17 Dec. 2024
But the Fed may slow, or even pause, those plans as early as the coming months, some experts told ABC News.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 16 Dec. 2024
Devan Cole, CNN, 13 Dec. 2024
Speaking with Variety, Screwvala explained how RSVP emerged from a deliberate pause after his UTV exit.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pause 
Verb
Washington — TikTok and its parent company ByteDance have asked the Supreme Court to temporarily pause a law that would ban the app in the U.S. as soon as Jan. 19.
—Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 17 Dec. 2024
But the Fed may slow, or even pause, those plans as early as the coming months, some experts told ABC News.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 16 Dec. 2024
Noun
Days later, TikTok asked the court to issue a temporary pause on the ban while the company asks the Supreme Court to review its challenge to the law.
—Devan Cole, CNN, 13 Dec. 2024
Speaking with Variety, Screwvala explained how RSVP emerged from a deliberate pause after his UTV exit.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pause
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pause
Verb
-
Without hesitating, Weil jumped into the water to save his dogs, the video shows.Ahjané Forbes, USA TODAY, 11 Dec. 2024
-
And, in many cases, your competitors may be the ones hesitating, creating significant opportunities for you.Ken Pomella, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Qatar’s top diplomat, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al Thani, criticized Assad for failing to take advantage of the lull in fighting in recent years to address the country’s underlying problems.Bassem Mroue, Los Angeles Times, 7 Dec. 2024
-
Typically each year, a lull in the retail business cloaks industry results from right after Cyber Monday until 10 days to two weeks before Christmas.David Moin, WWD, 3 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Focus on retention, education, activation, new tech and rewarding your people to start the next year with momentum, not hesitation.Yogesh Shah, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
-
Despite potential hesitation from fellow Republicans, Trump persists that the former Fox News host is ethically equipped to handle the role.Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 7 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
The task of fixing all that broke at Paramount under the Redstone family won’t be easy.Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2024
-
Remember, Steele first broke into the majors as a left-handed reliever and began to earn his spot in the rotation after the Cubs’ sell-off at the 2021 trade deadline.Sahadev Sharma, The Athletic, 17 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Everyone is holding their breath for something, anything about GTA 6, supposedly out in fall 2025, though who knows how likely that is.Paul Tassi, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
-
There can be side effects from supplementation, such as bad-smelling breath and sweat and headaches, as well as digestive issues such as heartburn, nausea or diarrhea, Harvard’s site stated.Sandee LaMotte, CNN, 11 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Related article What to do if your flight is canceled or delayed One reason for the hesitancy is that prices at the grocery store remain elevated to cook that classic Thanksgiving dinner.Alexandra Skores, CNN, 22 Nov. 2024
-
But there was also a hesitancy at the back that allowed the visitors to stride forward unopposed.Patrick Boyland, The Athletic, 18 Aug. 2024
Noun
-
Each short is unique in its conception, and yet, is bound by a common resilience, and a need to document the violent interruption of life and routine.Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 18 Dec. 2024
-
Starkey is disarming and immediately easy to talk to, stopping mid-conversation to explain the interruption of the chimes of his bird clock: a gift from a friend in honor of the one his grandmother used to have.Leigh Nordstrom, WWD, 18 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
As the war in Ukraine escalated and the enmity between Moscow and its Western rivals deepened, Lukashenko's apparent hesitance to fully commit to the conflict seems to have bought him some level of freedom from retaliation.David Brennan, ABC News, 5 Dec. 2024
-
That regulatory hesitance has spurred a boom in e-wallets and digital banks across the Asia-Pacific region, as companies target unbanked and underbanked populations in developing markets.Chris Morris, Fortune Asia, 5 Nov. 2024
Articles Related to pause
Thesaurus Entries Near pause
Cite this Entry
“Pause.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pause. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share