full stop
noun
chiefly British
: a point . used to show the end of a sentence or an abbreviation : period sense 5a
… the full stop after the roman numeral …—
Eric Korn
Eric KornHe found that a full stop expressed his feelings too violently, and wrote the letter again, for the fifth time …—Anthony Trollope
Anthony Trollope… ordered the initials 'F. C. W. K.,' with the customary untrained grape-vine-looking flourishes, and a large full stop, to be engraved forthwith.—Charles Dickens
—used interjectionally to emphasize the finality of the preceding statementCharles Dickens… when it comes to parenting she's the boss, full stop.—Pamela Druckerman
Pamela Druckerman
Examples of full stop in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In fact, cameras are generally a better solution full stop.
—Matt Crisara, Popular Mechanics, 8 Sep. 2023
In cinematic terms, regime change lends itself to a full stop or climax.
—Catherine Bray, Variety, 6 Sep. 2023
Rain over the last 24 hours has created a situation that required a full stop of vehicle movement on the playa.
—Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 2 Sep. 2023
The eight-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic now features a new liftoff mode that shifts down with velvet gloves until the vehicle comes to a full stop.
—Georg Kacher, Car and Driver, 22 Aug. 2023
Because work on the project came to a full stop, those issues have not yet been resolved, Wilber said on Friday.
—Emily Goodykoontz, Anchorage Daily News, 22 Aug. 2023
At 70 mph, the worst performers require an additional 30 feet to reach a full stop.
—Oliver Broudy, Men's Health, 17 Aug. 2023
For a wild animal, the dramatic stakes consist of survival and reproduction, full stop.
—Jonathan Franzen, The New Yorker, 12 Aug. 2023
Scripted to the point of obeying all the full stops and the ellipses and the hyphens.
—Kate Aurthur, Variety, 2 Aug. 2023
See More
Matt Crisara, Popular Mechanics, 8 Sep. 2023
In cinematic terms, regime change lends itself to a full stop or climax.
—Catherine Bray, Variety, 6 Sep. 2023
Rain over the last 24 hours has created a situation that required a full stop of vehicle movement on the playa.
—Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 2 Sep. 2023
The eight-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic now features a new liftoff mode that shifts down with velvet gloves until the vehicle comes to a full stop.
—Georg Kacher, Car and Driver, 22 Aug. 2023
Because work on the project came to a full stop, those issues have not yet been resolved, Wilber said on Friday.
—Emily Goodykoontz, Anchorage Daily News, 22 Aug. 2023
At 70 mph, the worst performers require an additional 30 feet to reach a full stop.
—Oliver Broudy, Men's Health, 17 Aug. 2023
For a wild animal, the dramatic stakes consist of survival and reproduction, full stop.
—Jonathan Franzen, The New Yorker, 12 Aug. 2023
Scripted to the point of obeying all the full stops and the ellipses and the hyphens.
—Kate Aurthur, Variety, 2 Aug. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'full stop.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1643, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near full stop
Cite this Entry
“Full stop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/full%20stop. Accessed 27 Sep. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on full stop
Nglish: Translation of full stop for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of full stop for Arabic Speakers
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