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

The focus is on getting outside and staying there as long as possible, with a possible pit stop at the hotel’s waffle bar in the late afternoon. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 June 2026

Along the way, tie up your vessel and make a pit stop at Meramec Caverns for a tour of a natural Midwest wonder. —Kelsey Yandura, Midwest Living, 17 June 2026

But since each set of tires is needed for fewer laps, they can be worked hard enough to offset that 22-second pit stop and more. —Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 15 June 2026

Three drivers per car share responsibility for the race, with driver changes occurring at pit stops. —Sam Joseph, New York Times, 11 June 2026

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