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
Deputies once again conducted a traffic stop, and a police dog sniffed out illicit substances.
—
Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2026
The prosecutor's office said that in July 2021, officers from several Michigan law enforcement agencies, including Furman, were in pursuit of a 35-year-old man who fled from a traffic stop.
—Nick Lentz, CBS News, 31 May 2026
In Maryland, where arrest and citation quotas are prohibited, state troopers in one barrack were offered candy bars as an incentive to make more traffic stops, the Baltimore Banner reported in October.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 30 May 2026
The officer called someone to consult them about his case, likely federal authorities, as is standard in these sorts of traffic stops.
—Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for traffic stop
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Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2026
The prosecutor's office said that in July 2021, officers from several Michigan law enforcement agencies, including Furman, were in pursuit of a 35-year-old man who fled from a traffic stop.
—Nick Lentz, CBS News, 31 May 2026
In Maryland, where arrest and citation quotas are prohibited, state troopers in one barrack were offered candy bars as an incentive to make more traffic stops, the Baltimore Banner reported in October.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 30 May 2026
The officer called someone to consult them about his case, likely federal authorities, as is standard in these sorts of traffic stops.
—Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for traffic stop
Cite this Entry
“Traffic stop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/traffic%20stop. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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