pit stop

noun

1

: a stop at the pits during an automobile race

2

a(1)

: a stop (as during a trip) for fuel, food, or rest or for use of a restroom

(2)

: a temporary deviation from a direct or usual course

a career pit stop … where he worked temporarily in between TV jobs

—Mark Lorando

b(1)

: a place where a pit stop is or can be made

(2)

: an establishment providing food or drink

Examples of pit stop in a Sentence

We made a pit stop for some food before getting back on the highway.

This little town is an ideal pit stop between the two cities.

Recent Examples on the Web

Road trip pit stops are about to get more exciting in Georgia as Buc-ee’s begins work on a fourth location in the state in Monroe County. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 12 Aug. 2025

In truth, Norris’ strategy of picking more durable tires gave him a real chance of overtaking Piastri in the final laps, but a number of small errors and a slow pit stop extinguished that hope. —Ben Church, CNN Money, 28 July 2025

There was also Norris' pit stop, which set him back by a few seconds. —Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 July 2025

Just off the road to the Grand Canyon, this quirky pit stop is getting a serious glow-up. —Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 25 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1915, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for pit stop

• atop
• backdrop
• backstop
• bebop
• blacktop
• bookshop
• clatsop
• desktop
• eavesdrop
• estop
• hardtop
• hilltop

Kids Definition

pit stop

noun

1

: a stop at the pits during an automobile race

2

a

: a stop (as during a trip) for fuel, food, or rest or for use of a restroom

b

: a place where a pit stop is or can be made