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

That dropped Verstappen back to ninth and an early pit stop pushed him back farther. —David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 4 May 2026

Antonelli also passed the Ferrari quickly, and by lap 22, Leclerc’s race was looking pretty mediocre, stuck behind Russell after both had made relatively early pit stops for the mandatory tire change. —Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 4 May 2026

Ask a local The town of Fayetteville on the bridge's southern end makes a great pit stop for road trippers. —Zach Wichter, USA Today, 1 May 2026

Here’s your foodie’s roundup of the moments, the meats and the must-visit pit stops that put Charlotte-area barbecue on the map. —Charlotte Observer, 30 Apr. 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