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
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.
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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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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
Cite this Entry
“Stop short.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stop%20short. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
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