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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of pause
Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 20 June 2026
That matters for people who cannot afford to pause their income or take on debt.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 20 June 2026
Michael Casey, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
The city officially enacted the pause a few days later, after which the three employees were asked to attend separate Zoom meetings with an Amazon HR rep.
—Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for pause
Verb
If a supervisor pushes, repeat the plan and pause briefly.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 20 June 2026
That matters for people who cannot afford to pause their income or take on debt.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 20 June 2026
Noun
About half the large panels at the outdoor exhibit had been restored before a February pause in the work.
—Michael Casey, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
The city officially enacted the pause a few days later, after which the three employees were asked to attend separate Zoom meetings with an Amazon HR rep.
—Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for pause
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pause
Verb
-
When asked which member of the family is the best soccer player, Theo didn't hesitate.—
Wakisha Bailey,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
-
When an agreement offers nothing to the Iranian people, why would the regime hesitate to intensify its crackdown?—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
But by Sunday morning, residents in southern Lebanon reported a lull in Israeli strikes.—
Victoria Eastwood,
Chicago Tribune,
21 June 2026
-
Intense fighting broke out on Friday morning after a relative lull in fighting following the announcement of the MOU.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
20 June 2026
Noun
-
With far less hair, Ella’s green eyes seemed greener, like those of the feral black cats that roamed their hamlet, meowing for table scraps, which were often given without hesitation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 June 2026
-
The result is a workplace trapped between urgency and hesitation.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Puncture wounds are a classic example, but lacerations, fractures that break the skin, burns, crush injuries and even relatively minor cuts can also pose a risk if they are contaminated with dirt or debris.—
Faye Chiu,
CNN Money,
23 June 2026
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To sign up for breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox, click here.—
Alex Brizee,
Idaho Statesman,
23 June 2026
Noun
-
Barely 20 minutes into the game, the crowd suddenly gets quiet as people hold their breaths in anticipation.—
The Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
17 June 2026
-
But there’s a particular beauty and serenity along this two to three-hour tubing run down the Winooski River from Burlington to Richmond in the Green Mountain State that will take your breath away as much as the refreshing waters do.—
Terry Ward,
Travel + Leisure,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
Another common problem for leaders is dealing with the pressure to innovate or the hesitancy to invest from the board.—
Francesca Cassidy,
Fortune,
8 June 2026
-
His hesitancy could undermine one of DeSantis’ key arguments to sway voters, particularly those in small counties, in favor of the amendment.—
Romy Ellenbogen Herald,
Miami Herald,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Football already has more interruptions than before, largely because of VAR and lengthy stoppages.—
Tom Burrows,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
-
Other protections like trip delay reimbursement, baggage delay and trip cancellation/interruption coverage can free you from needing to purchase third-party insurance at checkout.—
Jason Stauffer,
CNBC,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
That hesitance in the Republican Party coexists with palpable relief that there’s a ceasefire agreement in the Middle East after months of strikes on Iran.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
15 June 2026
-
Others, like Choi, believe that knowledge gaps are to blame for donor hesitance to get involved.—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
25 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pause.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pause. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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