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.
Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said officers can now share information on a limited basis with federal immigration agents, including during routine interactions like traffic stops. Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2025 The Civilian Office of Police Accountability released video footage Tuesday that shows a group of Chicago police officers firing dozens of bullets at Dexter Reed, 26, during a traffic stop in the West Garfield Park neighborhood on March 21, 2024. Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025 As troopers initiated a traffic stop, the driver complied and came to a complete stop on the highway instead of the right shoulder, state police said. Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2025 Giovanna Hernandez-Martinez, a 24-year-old resident and community advocate of Leeds, Alabama, was taken into U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody after a traffic stop by local police on the highway. Nick Mordowanec, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Traffic stop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/traffic%20stop. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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