1
: one that brings to a halt or causes to stop operating or functioning : check: such as
a
: a playing card that will stop the running of a suit
b
: a baseball pitcher depended on to win important games or to stop a losing streak
also
: an effective relief pitcher
2
: one that closes, shuts, or fills up
specifically
: something (such as a bung or cork) used to plug an opening
stoppered; stoppering
ˈstä-p(ə-)riŋ 
: to close or secure with or as if with a stopper
stopper the bottle
Examples of stopper in a Sentence
Noun
His comment was a conversation stopper.
Recent Examples on the Web
Justin Barrasso, Boston Herald, 15 Mar. 2026
An adjustable mainsheet stopper – the cleat that locks the sail's control line – can be operated by either the person at the helm or other crew members depending on where they're positioned around the hull.
—Omar Kardoudi
march 13, New Atlas, 13 Mar. 2026
Literary Hub, 10 Oct. 2025
Absent from the two teams was Wolves’ perimeter stopper Jaden McDaniels.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for stopper
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Noun
Yet that was when all its momentum was sapped in an instant, as Salem’s senior defensive stopper, Mesa, stole an inbounds pass to regain possession for the Witches – and prevent Hanover from attempting a shot that could have tied or won the game.
—Justin Barrasso, Boston Herald, 15 Mar. 2026
An adjustable mainsheet stopper – the cleat that locks the sail's control line – can be operated by either the person at the helm or other crew members depending on where they're positioned around the hull.
—Omar Kardoudi
march 13, New Atlas, 13 Mar. 2026
Verb
The Arctic waters where the ship was found have preserved it like it was stoppered in a bottle.
—Literary Hub, 10 Oct. 2025
Absent from the two teams was Wolves’ perimeter stopper Jaden McDaniels.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for stopper
Cite this Entry
“Stopper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stopper. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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