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

This one is always a showstopper, with whole strawberries and smears of frosting sandwiched between dreamy layers of sweet white cake. —Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2026

The real showstopper here is the jetliner vistas from the rooftop pool and terrace, with views that stretched to the ocean. —Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 17 Apr. 2026

But the real showstopper inside the Acura is the sound system. —Sponsored Content, Denver Post, 17 Apr. 2026

Cronin’s threshold for disgusting developments will challenge audiences who are easily shocked, but his skill at whipping up a crescendo of horrors helps distract from a plot with too little connective thread between the big showstoppers. —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 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