halt

1 of 2

verb (1)

ˈhȯlt 

halted; halting; halts

intransitive verb

1

: to cease marching or journeying

2

: discontinue, terminate

the project halted for lack of funds

transitive verb

1

: to bring to a stop

the strike halted subways and buses

2

: to cause the discontinuance of : end

halt hostilities

halt

2 of 2

verb (2)

halted; halting; halts

intransitive verb

1

: to walk or proceed with a limp

… that dogs bark at me as I halt by them.

—William Shakespeare

2

: to be in a state of uncertainty or doubt between alternate courses or choices : waver

3

: to display weakness or imperfection : falter

The argument often halts and sometimes breaks down completely.

Synonyms of halt

Verb (1)

• stop
• stall
• catch
• arrest

Verb (2)

• limp

Examples of halt in a Sentence

Verb (1)

traffic was halted by the parade

the private eye abruptly halted his surveillance of the building upon being spotted by his subject

all filming halted when the star of the movie quit in a huff

Verb (2)

even with her twisted ankle, she managed to halt along and complete her Walk for Peace

she was often confused, halting between the responsibilities of her job and the demands of her home life

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Iran had claimed that the missiles were a warning to Israel to halt its attacks on Lebanon, which have continued despite a cease-fire being announced last week. —Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 8 June 2026

But all passenger train traffic in Crimea was halted following the attack, with passengers evacuated and replacement buses provided, Russian operator Grand Service Express reported on Telegram that same morning. —ABC News, 8 June 2026

The judge in May 2025 denied a preliminary injunction, also seeking to halt the election while their legal action is pursued. —Olivia Young, CBS News, 8 June 2026

In March, a federal judge halted aboveground construction, but an appeals court quickly allowed work to resume through June while the case proceeds. —Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

derivative of halt entry 2

Verb (2)

Middle English halten, going back to Old English healtian, weak verb derivative of healt "impaired by a limp, lame" — more at halt entry 4

First Known Use

Verb (1)

1656, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Verb (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing halt

• a crashing halt
• bring a halt to
• call a halt to
• come to a grinding halt
• come to a halt
• draw to a halt/stop
• grind to a halt
• screeching/crashing halt
• screech to a halt/stop

Rhymes for halt

• alt
• fault
• gault
• malt
• sault
• vault
• walt
• asphalt
• assault
• basalt
• cobalt
• default

Kids Definition

halt

1 of 4 adjective

ˈhȯlt 

archaic

: unable or only partially able to use a body part and especially an arm or a leg

halt

2 of 4 verb

1

: limp entry 1 sense 1

2

: to move unsteadily

halt

3 of 4 noun

: the ending of movement, progress, or action

call a halt

halt

4 of 4 verb

1

: to stop marching or journeying

2

: to bring to a stop : end

Etymology

Adjective

Old English healt "lame"

Noun

from German halt "stop," derived from earlier halten "to hold"