pause

noun

\ ˈpȯz

Definition of pause

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a temporary stop

2a : 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

4a : 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

verb

paused; pausing

Definition of pause (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to stop temporarily

2 : to linger for a time

transitive verb

: to cause to pause : stop

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about pause

Keep scrolling for more

Synonyms for pause

Synonyms: Noun

break, breath, breather, interruption, lull, recess

Synonyms: Verb

break

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 pause in talks differs from the scene a year ago. — Timothy W. Martin, WSJ, "North Korea Fires Insults at U.S., Spares Trump," 15 June 2019 The statement also called for a pause of licensing new pot stores to review the state’s social equity program, which the group described as targeting minority neighborhoods for pot shops. — Naomi Martin, BostonGlobe.com, "Cannabis advocates rally in rebuttal to ‘Prohibition 2.0’," 12 June 2019 The news led to a clear pause in Kylie and Jordyn’s friendship — leading Jordyn to move out of Kylie’s Hidden Hills mansion and to go on Jada Pinkett Smith’s Red Table Talk to help clear her name by telling her side of the story. — Teen Vogue, "Jordyn Woods and Kylie Jenner Reunited at a Club Party in Hollywood, Months After Tristan Thompson Rumors," 11 June 2019 The deal comes against the backdrop of mounting antitrust scrutiny of Google and other tech giants, which is expected to give these companies and startups more pause in entering into big ticket acquisitions. — Seth Fiegerman, CNN, "Google is making a $2.6 billion bet on the cloud," 6 June 2019 Getty Images Getty Images The tongue-flashing was just a temporary pause in their otherwise sophisticated display, and the couple looked the picture of elegance and happiness two months after their lavish wedding celebrations. — Lucy Wood, Marie Claire, "Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas Got Their Tongues Out at the Oscars Vanity Fair Party," 25 Feb. 2019 The Hallmark Channel has left devoted When Calls the Heart fans hanging after putting the current season six on pause for eight grueling weeks. — Blair Donovan, Country Living, "How to Watch and Stream 'When Calls the Heart' Any Time You Want," 5 May 2019 With his role of Mike Wheeler temporarily on pause, Finn is free to resume his normal hair routine. — Lauren Rearick, Teen Vogue, "Finn Wolfhard Cut and Dyed His Hair," 14 Nov. 2018 While Kensington’s momentum shows no signs of slowing, parts of Regent Row are currently on pause. — Patrick Sisson, Curbed, "Booming postindustrial neighborhoods often overlook polluted past," 9 Oct. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Wes McGriff had to pause and think when the question was asked. — Tom Green | Tgreen@al.com, al.com, "Roger McCreary positioning himself to have ‘impact’ in Auburn secondary this fall," 7 June 2019 The policy YouTube is citing for the new actions was introduced in February 2018 after creator Logan Paul uploaded a video of a dead body, which led to global condemnation and advertisers threatening to pause ad spending. — Julia Alexander, The Verge, "YouTube revokes ads from Steven Crowder’s channel after mounting pressure," 5 June 2019 An administrative judge agreed to pause the firing for 45 days so that OSC could investigate further. — Isaac Arnsdorf, ProPublica, "Trump’s VA Firing Spree Falters in Court," 15 May 2019 The whole campaign ended with a chance to pause and take a breath, a staff pizza party (in which staff could cast votes, of course). — Jr Radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Behind the scenes of the quick-moving campaign to get Jesús Aguilar into the All-Star Game," 12 July 2018 At the end of the day, presidential call-outs may lead some companies, like Pfizer, to pause their price-hike strategies. — Sy Mukherjee, Fortune, "3 Key Lessons From Trump's Drug Price Feud With Pfizer," 11 July 2018 But those who pushed for their elimination might be wise to pause for thought. — The Economist, "Some science journals that claim to peer review papers do not do so," 21 June 2018 The InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland Hotel (let’s just pause for a moment to appreciate that mouthful) is nestled into the side of a quarry 19 miles from the city’s Hongqiao International Airport. — Liz Stinson, Curbed, "Shanghai luxury hotel is built inside an abandoned quarry," 5 Dec. 2018 After going through the training, the robot has an understanding, so to speak, of when to pause and when to take flight. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Hummingbird Robots 1, Drones 0," 13 May 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pause.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.