stopwatch

noun

stop·​watch ˈstäp-ˌwäch How to pronounce stopwatch (audio)
Synonyms of stopwatchnext
: a watch with a hand or a digital display that can be started and stopped at will for exact timing (as of a race)

Examples of stopwatch 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.
He’s gone from being driven by the stopwatch and trying to be better than others to simply driving around and having fun. Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026 Quantified with power meters and stopwatches, every lung-searing effort was an imposition of my will on not just my body, but the world. James Hibbard, Literary Hub, 9 Mar. 2026 Others, engineered either to replicate the biomechanics of human shot delivery or to fire stones consistently with repeatable speed and rotation, are transforming the sport by dissecting technique and strategy with a level of rigor no coach with a stopwatch could match. IEEE Spectrum, 18 Feb. 2026 His exit comes at a time of unease at the Sunday night newsmagazine known for its ticking stopwatch. David Bauder, Fortune, 17 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stopwatch

Word History

First Known Use

1737, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stopwatch was in 1737

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stopwatch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stopwatch. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

stopwatch

noun
stop·​watch ˈstäp-ˌwäch How to pronounce stopwatch (audio)
: a watch having a hand or a digital display that can be started and stopped for exact timing (as of a race)

More from Merriam-Webster on stopwatch

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster