STOP Synonyms: 338 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'stop' distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of stop are cease , desist , discontinue , and quit . While all these words mean "to suspend or cause to suspend activity," stop applies to action or progress or to what is operating or progressing and may imply suddenness or definiteness. // stopped at the red light

Q: In what contexts can 'cease' take the place of 'stop'?

While in some cases nearly identical to stop , cease applies to states, conditions, or existence and may add a suggestion of gradualness and a degree of finality. // by nightfall the fighting had ceased

Q: When can 'desist' be used instead of 'stop'?

In some situations, the words desist and stop are roughly equivalent. However, desist implies forbearance or restraint as a motive for stopping or ceasing. // desisted from further efforts to persuade them

Q: When could 'discontinue' be used to replace 'stop'?

The meanings of discontinue and stop largely overlap; however, discontinue applies to the stopping of an accustomed activity or practice. // we have discontinued the manufacture of that item

Q: When is 'quit' a more appropriate choice than 'stop'?

Although the words quit and stop have much in common, quit may stress either finality or abruptness in stopping or ceasing. // the engine faltered, sputtered, then quit altogether

stop 1 of 2

verb

ˈstäp

Definition of stop next

as in to cease

to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end the manufacturer will stop selling the toy and will immediately recall all the units that have already been sold

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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to halt

to bring (something) to a standstill traffic was stopped for over an hour by the overturned truck

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as in to fill

to close up so that no empty spaces remain I stopped the mouse hole with plaster

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as in to end

to come to an end the music stopped but we kept on dancing

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as in to overcome

to achieve a victory over they were eventually stopped by the best team in the league

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stop

2 of 2

noun

as in break

a brief halt in a journey our guide called for a stop at the trail hut so we could eat and rest a bit

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as in station

a regular stopping place had lunch on a picnic table at a shady rest stop along the highway

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as in obstacle

something that makes movement or progress difficult pulled out all the stops and presented the most spectacular show ever

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as in halt

the stopping of a process or activity put a stop to this nonsense

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word stop distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of stop are cease, desist, discontinue, and quit. While all these words mean "to suspend or cause to suspend activity," stop applies to action or progress or to what is operating or progressing and may imply suddenness or definiteness.

stopped at the red light

In what contexts can cease take the place of stop?

While in some cases nearly identical to stop, cease applies to states, conditions, or existence and may add a suggestion of gradualness and a degree of finality.

by nightfall the fighting had ceased

When can desist be used instead of stop?

In some situations, the words desist and stop are roughly equivalent. However, desist implies forbearance or restraint as a motive for stopping or ceasing.

desisted from further efforts to persuade them

When could discontinue be used to replace stop?

The meanings of discontinue and stop largely overlap; however, discontinue applies to the stopping of an accustomed activity or practice.

we have discontinued the manufacture of that item

When is quit a more appropriate choice than stop?

Although the words quit and stop have much in common, quit may stress either finality or abruptness in stopping or ceasing.

the engine faltered, sputtered, then quit altogether

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 stop

Verb

Apply for roles that excite you, but don’t stop there—find a point of contact within each company and start building relationships. —

Wasim Hajjiri, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024 Anthony Stolarz started in goal and stopped seven before leaving because of a lower-body injury. —

Austin Knoblauch, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2024

Noun

As for the autographs in and around the pool — the most fascinating stop on the Rave's haunted holidays tour — O'Connell said that began organically. —

Piet Levy, Journal Sentinel, 11 Dec. 2024 The attack is horrifying: The marchers’ police escort stops, effectively trapping them on the road, as British loyalists appear over a hill and race down to mercilessly beat men, women, and children with rocks and clubs. —

Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for stop

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stop

Verb

The technical psychiatry and neurobiology of later times necessarily lacked Valéry’s poetry, and the poets themselves could never make good on his scientism without ceasing to write poetry.

Benjamin Kunkel, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
Last week, a panel of three judges upheld the law's constitutionality, leaving TikTok and ByteDance warning that the app could cease operations in the U.S. as soon as Jan. 19, 2025, if the decision stands.

Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024