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 jobsMark 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Back in his Austin homebase after touring in Europe, and just turned 28 years old, Elcock’s odyssey is far from over and SXSW is just another pit stop. Mars Salazar, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025 Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images Tsunoda was involved in a collision with Alpine's Franco Colapinto that gave the Japanese driver a penalty and damage to his car, forcing a pit stop. Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025 The specifics of Formula One border on arcane, and Kosinski gleefully plunges the viewer into all of its minutiae: the balance between aerodynamics and engine power in building the cars; the strategies behind taking a pit stop or passing another driver. David Sims, The Atlantic, 28 June 2025 And second, a 2008 incident in Singapore, in which Renault driver Nelson Piquet Jr. said he was asked by his team to deliberately crash to allow his teammate, Alonso, to gain position during the safety car period as other cars made pit stops for gas, led to an embarrassing scandal. Sean Gregory, Time, 27 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for pit stop

Word History

First Known Use

1915, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pit stop was in 1915

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Cite this Entry

“Pit stop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pit%20stop. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.

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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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