\ ˈstäp 
\
\stopped; stopping
Definition of stop
(Entry 1 of 3)
1a : to close by filling or obstructing
b : to hinder or prevent the passage of
c : to get in the way of : be wounded or killed by
easy to stop a bullet along a lonely … road— Harvey Fergusson
3a : to cause to give up or change a course of action
b : discontinue
5a : to deduct or withhold (a sum due)
b : to instruct one's bank to refuse (payment) or refuse payment of (something, such as a check)
6a : to arrest the progress or motion of : cause to halt
stopped the car
b : parry
c : to check by means of a weapon : bring down, kill
7a : to change the pitch of (something, such as a violin string) by pressing with the finger
b : to change the pitch of (a wind instrument) by closing one or more finger holes or by thrusting the hand or a mute into the bell
8 : to hold an honor card and enough protecting cards to be able to block (a bridge suit) before an opponent can run many tricks
1a : to cease activity or operation
his heart stopped the motor stopped
4 : to become choked : clog the sink often stops up
stop
nounDefinition of stop (Entry 2 of 3)
2a(1) : a graduated set of organ pipes of similar design and tone quality
(2) : a corresponding set of vibrators or reeds of a reed organ
(3) : stop knob —often used figuratively in phrases like pull out all the stops to suggest holding nothing back
b : a means of regulating the pitch of a musical instrument
3a : something that impedes, obstructs, or brings to a halt : impediment, obstacle
b : the aperture of a camera lens also : a marking of a series (as of f-numbers) on a camera for indicating settings of the diaphragm
c : a drain plug : stopper
4 : a device for arresting or limiting motion
6a : a halt in a journey : stay made a brief stop to refuel
b : a stopping place
a bus stop
7a chiefly British : any of several punctuation marks
b —used in telegrams and cables to indicate a period
c : a pause or break in a verse that marks the end of a grammatical unit
8a : an order stopping payment (as of a check or note) by a bank
b : stop order
9 : a consonant characterized by complete closure of the breath passage in the course of articulation — compare continuant
10 : a depression in the face of an animal at the junction of forehead and muzzle
11 : a function of an electronic device that stops a recording
stop
adjectiveDefinition of stop (Entry 3 of 3)
: serving to stop : designed to stop
stop line stop signal
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Other Words from stop
Verb
stoppable \ ˈstä-pə-bəl \ adjective
\ adjectiveSynonyms for stop
Synonyms: Verb
- break,
- break off,
- break up,
- can
- [slang],
- cease,
- cut off,
- cut out,
- desist (from),
- discontinue,
- drop,
- end,
- give over,
- halt,
- knock off,
- lay off,
- leave off,
- pack (up or in),
- quit,
- shut off
Examples of stop in a Sentence
Verb
She was walking toward me, and then she suddenly stopped.
The bus stopped at the corner.
He stopped to watch the sun set.
He stopped to pick up a penny.
The car was going so fast that it couldn't stop in time.
The traffic light turned red, so she had to stop. Stop that man! He stole my wallet.
They stopped us at the border to check our passports.
She stopped the car and turned back.
He was stopped by the police for speeding. Noun
His first stop will be Washington, D.C.
Our first stop has to be the gas station.
I need to make a stop at the grocery store on the way home.
The next stop is Main Street and Tower Square.
I'm getting off at the next stop.
Slow down as you approach the stop.
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Recent Examples on the Web: Verb For weeks, public health officials in Santa Clara County — and across the rest of the country — have been pleading with Americans to stay home and stop the spread of the virus, lest the hospital systems become overwhelmed.
—
Michael Williams, SFChronicle.com, "Ambulances wait for hours outside Santa Clara County emergency rooms as hospital crisis worsens," 2 Jan. 2021 North Country Associates, Maplecrest’s parent company, said the 58-bed home worked with state authorities to stop the spread of Covid-19 and correct all deficiencies found in that inspection.
—
Jason Douglas, WSJ, "Covid-19 Stalked Nursing Homes Around the World," 31 Dec. 2020 Fashion labels, both big and small, committed to helping stop the spread of COVID-19 and provided monetary assistance to those most impacted by the global health crisis.
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Alison S. Cohn, Harper's BAZAAR, "The 20 Top Fashion Moments of 2020," 29 Dec. 2020 New York City residents and community groups protest and demand that Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz takes immediate action to stop the spread of COVID-19 in the borough's jails.
—
Josiah Bates, Time, "With Over 275,000 Infections and 1,700 Deaths, COVID-19 Has Devastated the U.S. Prison and Jail Population," 28 Dec. 2020 The two recreation centers were closed briefly amid the pandemic but reopened in May with new safety precautions in place to help stop the spread of the virus.
—
Teri Webster, Dallas News, "Is getting in shape one of your resolutions? Richardson is offering discounts on city rec center memberships.," 28 Dec. 2020 Democrats were also considering a vote Monday on a stop-gap measure aimed at keeping the government running until Democrat Joe Biden is inaugurated Jan. 20.
—
Jill Colvin, Chron, "Lawmakers press Trump on relief bill as jobless aid expires," 27 Dec. 2020 The outgoing president's inaction sets up a potential government shutdown on Tuesday when a stop-gap spending measure expires.
—
Tyler Van Dyke, Washington Examiner, "Pat Toomey: Trump needs to sign funding package," 27 Dec. 2020 While most of San Diego County stayed focused on trying to stop the spread of COVID-19 in 2020, East County had plenty of distractions from the pandemic.
—
San Diego Union-Tribune, "East County found itself in unwelcome spotlight in 2020," 27 Dec. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The vehicle fled from the stop at U.S. 49 and Honeysuckle, Moore said.
—
Brianna Kwasnik, Arkansas Online, "Police: Vehicle in fatal Jonesboro crash was fleeing pursuit," 5 Jan. 2021 Next stop was Wild Detectives, in Dallas’s Bishop Arts district, which is a coffee shop, bookshop, bar, theater combo with a highly curated selection of new releases and classics, records, and art.
—
Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, "Weekend Finds: The Indie Bookstores, Snowshoeing Spots, and Yurt Dining We Loved," 4 Jan. 2021 In the Aggies’ Orange Bowl victory over North Carolina on Jan. 2, Peevy came up with a big fourth-and-1 stop in the fourth quarter to allow the defense to hold the Tar Heels to just seven points in the final frame.
—
Hannah Underwood, Dallas News, "Texas A&M DT Jayden Peevy announces he will use extra year of eligibility, return for 2021 season," 3 Jan. 2021 On Wednesday evening, DFW Airport tweeted the FAA's request for a full ground stop.
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Ann W. Schmidt, Fox News, "COVID-19 grounded flights in Dallas resume after air traffic control cleaning," 31 Dec. 2020 Journeys range from one- to four-day cruises, which may include a brief stop to destinations such as a deserted beach.
—
Rebecca Smith, WSJ, "Cruise Ships Can’t Sail Away From Covid," 31 Dec. 2020 Amid the traffic stop, gunfire broke out between police and the man, the chief said.
—
Washington Post, "Minneapolis mayor calls for calm after police fatally shoot man, the department’s first killing since George Floyd’s death," 31 Dec. 2020 Her face was painted on buildings, her name spray-painted on stop signs.
—
Justin Phillips, SFChronicle.com, "Busted Breonna Taylor bust shows future hope is fragile for Bay Area’s Black community," 31 Dec. 2020 Arradondo said the traffic stop was carried out by members of a police community response team — longstanding units that respond to situations such as drug investigations and gun crime.
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Time, "Minneapolis Police to Release Body Camera Footage From First Officer-Involved Death Since George Floyd," 31 Dec. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Plays through the whistle and has a non-stop motor.
—
oregonlive, "Jonathan Flowe, 4-star outside linebacker, commits to Oregon Ducks," 15 Dec. 2020 And Singapore Air earlier this week restarted its non-stop service between Singapore and New York, the world’s longest flight, as the tiny island nation struggles to retain its relevance as a global aviation hub.
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Angus Whitley, Bloomberg.com, "A Third of the World’s Air Routes Have Been Lost Due to Covid," 12 Nov. 2020 Still, opt for non-stop routes or flights with shorter layover times to avoid spending time in airports.
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Heather Greenwood Davis, National Geographic, "10 ways families can minimize holiday travel risk," 23 Nov. 2020 Maxey makes up for his lack of height with strength and a non-stop motor.
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Christian Clark, NOLA.com, "9 players the Pelicans could target with their first-round picks," 17 Nov. 2020 Even when an effective vaccine is found, the economic reality of the recovery may mean some non-stop flights are gone for good.
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Angus Whitley, Bloomberg.com, "A Third of the World’s Air Routes Have Been Lost Due to Covid," 12 Nov. 2020 With a non-stop onslaught of severe storms, wildfires and hurricanes, 2020 has been a calamitous year for weather in the US.
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Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, "Hurricane Delta could be the USA's record-breaking 17th weather disaster of 2020," 9 Oct. 2020 Bradley International Airport will add a non-stop route in March to Nashville, with connections from there to destinations on the West Coast.
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Kenneth R. Gosselin, courant.com, "Bradley International Airport adds non-stop route to Nashville," 8 Oct. 2020 One of the best defensive ends in the country, Somerville is a tough, physical, athletic rush end who has a non-stop motor.
—
Richard Obert, The Arizona Republic, "See who the top recruits are from Saguaro, Chaparral in Game of the Week," 30 Sep. 2020
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stop.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
What Does It Mean to 'Pull Out All the...
What Does It Mean to 'Pull Out All the Stops'?
We hold back nothing in this article.
Dictionary Entries near stop
See More Nearby EntriesStatistics for stop
Last Updated
7 Jan 2021
Look-up Popularity
Cite this Entry
“Stop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stop. Accessed 16 Jan. 2021.
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More Definitions for stop
stop
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of stop
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to not move, walk, etc., after doing so before
: to cause (someone or something) to not move, walk, etc., after doing so before
: to not do something that you have been doing before : to not continue doing something
stop
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of stop (Entry 2 of 2)
: a state in which someone or something is no longer moving
: a state in which no further activity happens
sports : a play that stops an opponent from scoring a goal
See the full definition for stop in the English Language Learners Dictionary
stop
verb\ ˈstäp \
\stopped; stopping
Kids Definition of stop
(Entry 1 of 2)
1 : to cease moving especially temporarily or for a purpose
I stopped to catch my breath. The bus stops here.
2 : to halt the movement or progress of
Stop the car!
3 : to keep from doing something
I couldn't stop him from leaving.
4 : to come or bring (something) to an end
The rain stopped. Stop that yelling.
5 : to cease operating or functioning
The engine just stopped.
6 : to close or block up or become closed or blocked up : plug I stopped my ears with cotton. The drain was stopped up.
7 : to take time
Stop to think first.
stop
nounKids Definition of stop (Entry 2 of 2)
1 : end entry 1 sense 2, finish Let's put a stop to the arguing.
2 : the act of bringing or coming to a halt : the state of being stopped
The train came to a stop.
3 : a halt in a journey : stay We made a brief stop in the mountains.
4 : a stopping place
a bus stop
5 : something that delays, blocks, or brings to a halt
a door stop
7 : a set of organ pipes of one tone quality : a control knob for such a set
stop
verbstopped; stopping
Legal Definition of stop
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to cease activity or motion
stop
nounLegal Definition of stop (Entry 2 of 2)
: an act or instance of stopping specifically : a temporary detention that constitutes a limited seizure of a person for the purpose of inquiry or investigation and that must be based on reasonable suspicion — see also terry stop — compare arrest
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Time Traveler for stop
The first known use of stop was in the 13th century
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