pause

1 of 2

noun

1
: a temporary stop
2
a
: a break in a verse
b
: a brief suspension of the voice to indicate the limits and relations of sentences and their parts
3
: temporary inaction especially as caused by uncertainty : hesitation
4
a
: the sign denoting a fermata
b
: a mark (such as a period or comma) used in writing or printing to indicate or correspond to a pause of voice
5
: a reason or cause for pausing (as to reconsider)
a thought that should give one pause
6
: a function of an electronic device that pauses a recording

pause

2 of 2

verb

paused; pausing

intransitive verb

1
: to stop temporarily
2
: to linger for a time

transitive verb

: to cause to pause : stop

Examples of pause in a Sentence

Noun There was a brief pause in the conversation. After a pause the teacher continued the lesson. He hit pause on the player and explained the significance of the song's lyrics. Please hit the pause button on the remote control. Verb She paused for a few seconds before crossing the street. We paused briefly to look at the scenery. He talked for over an hour without pausing. He picked up the remote control and paused the movie.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The judge stopped Biden’s 100-day pause on deportations shortly after the president took office. Maria Sacchetti, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024 The Biden administration has been working to secure a six-week pause in the violence but has so far failed to get all the parties to agree. Arpan Lobo, Detroit Free Press, 8 Mar. 2024 The Biden administration insists Israel has already accepted the broad terms of a six-week pause while Hamas is holding out. Alex Marquardt, CNN, 7 Mar. 2024 Harris' remarks were the most pointed statement yet by a member of the Biden administration on the need for an immediate pause in the fighting in Gaza. USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024 Moon mining, whether for water or rare-earth metals, remains science fiction today, and tends to give pause to casual observers, who imagine looking up, horrified, at a strip-mined lunar surface. David W. Brown, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 The only agreement of note came on extending a pause on taxes on digital media such as movies and video games. Jon Gambrell, Quartz, 2 Mar. 2024 The law has effectively been on pause for the past year. Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 29 Feb. 2024 This past week, mediators met in Paris to negotiate a potential deal for a pause in the fighting in Gaza; talks have since moved to Qatar. Npr Staff, NPR, 26 Feb. 2024
Verb
In the meantime, the drug and patient support services are still available for people living with ALS; however, the company has paused promotion of Relyvrio. Mira Cheng, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 United Airlines is pausing its pilot hiring in the spring due to delays in aircraft delivery from Boeing. William Gavin, Quartz, 8 Mar. 2024 Nearly half the state's clinics had paused procedures after a controversial ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court last month determined that frozen embryos are considered children. Janet Shamlian, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2024 When the news hit last week that embryos created through in vitro fertilization are considered children under state law − pausing IVF treatment in Alabama clinics − Carr stopped in her tracks. Rachel Looker, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2024 Last month, at least three major clinics in Alabama paused in vitro fertilization, or IVF, treatments after the state’s supreme court ruled that frozen embryos are considered children under the law. Melissa Jeltsen, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 2024 Fertility clinics paused some services in the wake of a state court ruling related to whether embryos are children under a state law. Kim Chandler The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 7 Mar. 2024 When both chambers met on Feb. 29 to vote on protective measures, nearly half of Alabama’s seven clinics had paused their treatments, and three of the remaining four stopped frozen embryo disposal. Praveena Somasundaram, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024 The case was filed a year ago but was recently paused because of mediation talks planned for a second lawsuit over the ship’s that’s currently before a court in Braunschweig. Karin Matussek, Fortune Europe, 5 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pause.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Latin pausa, from Greek pausis, from pauein to stop

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pause was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near pause

Cite this Entry

“Pause.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pause. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

pause

1 of 2 noun
1
: a temporary stop or rest
2
: the sign placed over or under a musical note, chord, or rest to show that it is to be held longer than usual
3
: a reason for pausing
a thought that should give pause

pause

2 of 2 verb
paused; pausing
1
: to stop temporarily
2
: to linger for a time
pause on a high note
Etymology

Noun

Middle English pause "a temporary stop, pause," from Latin pausa "a pause" — related to repose entry 1

More from Merriam-Webster on pause

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