traffic stop

noun

plural traffic stops
: an instance of police stopping a driver (as for speeding or a broken taillight)
She was pulled over for a routine traffic stop.
an officer making a traffic stop

Examples of traffic stop 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.
All three were arrested during a traffic stop on Memorial Drive. Dan Raby, CBS News, 5 Jan. 2026 Former Mets superstar Lenny Dykstra is facing drug charges following a traffic stop in Pennsylvania on New Year’s Day, state police said. Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 3 Jan. 2026 The traffic stop took place about 25 miles east of Scranton, where Dykstra lives. Zach Powell, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2026 Minutes later, it was located, and another official attempted a traffic stop. Elissa Jorgensen, Dallas Morning News, 3 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for traffic stop

Word History

First Known Use

1953, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of traffic stop was in 1953

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Traffic stop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/traffic%20stop. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.

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!