interruption

noun

in·​ter·​rup·​tion ˌin-tə-ˈrəp-shən 

plural interruptions

1

: an act of interrupting something or someone or the state of being interrupted: such as

a

: a stoppage or hindering of an activity for a time

Our conversation continued without interruption for over an hour.

b

: a break in the continuity of something

Internet service interruptions

2

: something that causes a stoppage or break in the continuity of something

a rude interruption

watching television without commercial interruptions

Synonyms of interruption

• interval
• hiatus
• pause
• gap

Examples of interruption in a Sentence

an interruption in cable service during the lightning storm

a brief interruption in the discussion while we all got coffee

Recent Examples on the Web

That reduces interruptions during development workflows. —Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 19 Feb. 2026

That led to a 10-minute interruption at the Estadio da Luz, with referee Francois Letexier crossing his arms to signal that racist abuse had been reported by Vinicius. —Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2026

Applause between movements meant to be heard without interruption is a growing distraction around here. —Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News, 18 Feb. 2026

The new checkpoints are seamless, quick and with virtually no interruption. —Jeff Wagner, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for interruption

• incorruption
• corruption
• disruption
• eruption
• irruption