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 + of
The 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And though the prequel series’ showrunners stop short of confirming that Lala died on the scene (read their full Q&A), this chain of events reveals why Gibbs never shared this story before. Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 28 Apr. 2025 However, many leaders stop short of viewing channel partnerships through this customer-first lens—and doing so can set organizations up to miss big opportunities for sustainable growth. Susana Cabrera, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025 The proposals stop short of closing the schools, like Iryna’s, that are operating online from exile, but teachers and parents worry that such a move may come later. Maria Varenikova, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2025 To be sure, analysts with the investment advisory firm expect Mr. Trump to stop short of imposing a blanket tariff and instead pick his targets. Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 30 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for stop short

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Cite this Entry

“Stop short.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stop%20short. Accessed 5 May. 2025.

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