stop short
idiom
: to stop or be stopped just before doing or reaching something
I had to slam on the brakes when the car in front of me stopped short.
He was about to say something, then stopped short.
—often + ofThe boss said that she was unhappy with some employees, but she stopped short of naming which ones.
The running back was stopped short of the goal line.
Examples of stop short in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Some studies show a possible link, other studies show no such link, but all existing studies stop short of showing cause-and-effect.
—
Sony Salzman, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2025
Nicky Fox, who leads NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, told reporters the findings stop short of a breakthrough.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2025
Some drivers stop short, unsure of who should go first.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Aug. 2025
The market is holding this stance, though presumably Fed Chair Powell on Friday in Jackson Hole will stop short of fully endorsing any September move, not wishing to front-run another jobs report in early September.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stop short
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Sony Salzman, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2025
Nicky Fox, who leads NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, told reporters the findings stop short of a breakthrough.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2025
Some drivers stop short, unsure of who should go first.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Aug. 2025
The market is holding this stance, though presumably Fed Chair Powell on Friday in Jackson Hole will stop short of fully endorsing any September move, not wishing to front-run another jobs report in early September.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stop short
Cite this Entry
“Stop short.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stop%20short. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
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