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

After traveling across the globe and making pit stops in New York, London, Paris, and Los Angeles, Vogue World officially lands in Milan this evening. — Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 22 Sep. 2026

But the timing of the VSC activation, in which the entire field must reduce their speed as incidents are cleared up, thus making a pit stop cheaper if a driver can make one in such circumstances, could not have been worse for Norris. — Luke Smith, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

The café is tucked away in the heart of the garden—a lovely pit stop. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Sep. 2026

But some of those towns have more attractions than others, calling for a visit all on their own rather than a quick pit stop. — Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 5 Sep. 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