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

Buellton is one of those spots that started as a quick pit stop and quickly became one of my family’s favorite destinations. —Maggie Downs, Travel + Leisure, 27 Oct. 2025

The tiny town off I-8 is more than a pit stop for tourists. —Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 27 Oct. 2025

Make a pit stop in SoHo at The Dominick where a vintage phone booth in the lobby awaits, outfitted with a Haunted Hotline that tells chilling tales inspired by NYC. —Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2025

There are plenty of pit stops for a Majorcan lunch along the way to the island’s eastern shores, an hour’s drive. —Emilio Parra Doiztua, New York Times, 16 Oct. 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