pit stop

noun

1

: a stop at the pits during an automobile race

2

a(1)

: a stop (as during a trip) for fuel, food, or rest or for use of a restroom

(2)

: a temporary deviation from a direct or usual course

… a career pit stop … where he worked temporarily in between TV jobs …

—Mark Lorando

b(1)

: a place where a pit stop is or can be made

(2)

: an establishment providing food or drink

Examples of pit stop in a Sentence

We made a pit stop for some food before getting back on the highway.

This little town is an ideal pit stop between the two cities.

Recent Examples on the Web

Road trippers can make pit stops at historic sites and quirky landmarks, like the 66-foot-tall soda bottle at Pops 66 Soda Ranch in Oklahoma. —Usa Today Network, USA Today, 10 June 2026

Gus’s has served South Pasadena since 1946, making the barbecue pit stop a nearly 80-year-old fixture along historic Route 66. —Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 9 June 2026

Russell was one of a number of drivers (including Hamilton) who earned pit stop penalties for speeding in the pit lane. —Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 8 June 2026

Plus, with over 2,000 municipalities, Switzerland offers a seemingly endless number of day trips and pit stops. —Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 25 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1915, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for pit stop

• atop
• backdrop
• backstop
• bebop
• blacktop
• bookshop
• clatsop
• desktop
• eavesdrop
• estop
• hardtop
• hilltop

Kids Definition

pit stop

noun

1

: a stop at the pits during an automobile race

2

a

: a stop (as during a trip) for fuel, food, or rest or for use of a restroom

b

: a place where a pit stop is or can be made