in·ter·rupt
ˌin-tə-ˈrəpt 
interrupted; interrupting; interrupts
1
: to stop or hinder by breaking in
interrupted the speaker with frequent questions
2
: to break the uniformity or continuity of
a hot spell occasionally interrupted by a period of cool weather
: to break in upon an action
especially
: to break in with questions or remarks while another is speaking
in·ter·rupt
ˌin-tə-ˈrəpt
ˈin-tə-ˌrəpt
: a feature of a computer that permits the temporary interruption of one activity (such as the execution of a program) in order to perform another
also
: the interruption itself
Examples of interrupt in a Sentence
Verb
It's not polite to interrupt.
His dinner was interrupted by a phone call.
We interrupt this program to bring you a special announcement.
Every summer periods of cool weather occasionally interrupt the intense heat.
Recent Examples on the Web
Paul Newman, New York Times, 12 July 2025
But she’s interrupted by a fire alarm: Charlie turned up the heat on a saucepan on the stove, starting a fire and alerting the authorities!
—Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 10 July 2025
Jack Moore, ABC News, 5 June 2025
To him, this is part of the appeal of the stand-up show: No one interrupts.
—Kelly Stout, Rolling Stone, 25 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for interrupt
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Verb
First came a relatively calm session of Indian progress interrupted on the stroke of the lunch interval by a brilliant piece of fielding from Stokes that had dangerman Rishabh Pant run out with a direct hit while trying to hurry his partner KL Rahul to a century.
—Paul Newman, New York Times, 12 July 2025
But she’s interrupted by a fire alarm: Charlie turned up the heat on a saucepan on the stove, starting a fire and alerting the authorities!
—Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 10 July 2025
Noun
When Musk is asked by a reporter if any Cabinet members are unhappy about the email ultimatum, Trump interrupts.
—Jack Moore, ABC News, 5 June 2025
To him, this is part of the appeal of the stand-up show: No one interrupts.
—Kelly Stout, Rolling Stone, 25 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for interrupt
Cite this Entry
“Interrupt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interrupt. Accessed 26 Jul. 2025.
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