showstopper

noun

show·​stop·​per ˈshō-ˌstä-pər 

1

: an act, song, or performer that wins applause so prolonged as to interrupt a performance

2

: something or someone exceptionally arresting or attractive

the gold crown was the showstopper of the exhibition

3

: one that stops or could stop the progress, operation, or functioning of something

showstopping

ˈshō-ˌstä-piŋ 

adjective

Synonyms of showstopper

• doll
• looker
• lovely
• beauty
• eyeful
• babe
• dish
• ten
• dreamboat

Examples of showstopper in a Sentence

at the modeling agency everyone was a showstopper

Recent Examples on the Web

The showstopper is a very cute idea where each baker has to make a dessert cart with at least three classic desserts on it. — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026

This year’s homebrew showstopper could see its creator designing a licensed table for one of the industry’s major manufacturers by the following year’s show. — ArsTechnica, 21 Oct. 2026

Family-friendly, immersive program will feature many of Verdi’s greatest showstoppers. — Mike Hamersly, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026

Food and drink The Chandelier Bar has quickly become one of the most memorable watering holes in New Orleans, with its showstopper eponymous chandelier a gleaming cascade of some 15,000 crystals. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1916, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for showstopper

• eavesdropper
• grasshopper
• improper
• leafhopper
• sharecropper
• chopper
• copper
• cropper
• dropper
• pauper
• popper
• proper