give (someone) pause
idiom
: to cause (someone) to stop and think about something carefully or to have doubts about something
I was going to ask her for help, but the look on her face gave me pause.
Examples of give (someone) pause in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Josh Giddey, Bulls, $34,768,411 (R) My formula spit out a fanciful number that would give pause to even the biggest Giddey fan.
—
John Hollinger, New York Times, 19 June 2025
The conviction and sentencing of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan should give pause to those in positions of trust who are tempted to misuse those positions for personal gain.
—Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2025
Problems such as those give pause to Lewis Ward, research director for IDC.
—IEEE Spectrum, 31 Dec. 2013
What may give pause are the large cuts that Kennedy has instituted across HHS agencies, which include substantial reductions in funding for HIV prevention, as reported by Politico.
—Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 4 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for give (someone) pause
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.
John Hollinger, New York Times, 19 June 2025
The conviction and sentencing of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan should give pause to those in positions of trust who are tempted to misuse those positions for personal gain.
—Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2025
Problems such as those give pause to Lewis Ward, research director for IDC.
—IEEE Spectrum, 31 Dec. 2013
What may give pause are the large cuts that Kennedy has instituted across HHS agencies, which include substantial reductions in funding for HIV prevention, as reported by Politico.
—Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 4 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for give (someone) pause
Cite this Entry
“Give (someone) pause.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/give%20%28someone%29%20pause. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share