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

Alicia Brown, the estranged wife of Atlanta radio personality Big Tigger, is suing Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat, claiming a faulty warrant led to her arrest during a traffic stop on Interstate 85. — Christopher Harris, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026

He was not charged or arrested during the traffic stop, which lasted for more than an hour. — Laura Romero, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026

By Bay City News The Santa Rosa Police Department arrested an 18-year-old Santa Rosa resident Thursday after officers discovered the suspect was in possession of a ghost gun during a traffic stop, authorities said. — Bay City News, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2026

After the traffic stop, municipal attorneys told the Herald that Calvo’s actions could raise ethics questions. — Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 14 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1953, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for traffic stop

• barbershop
• countertop
• lollipop
• mountaintop
• photoshop
• tabletop
• turboprop
• atop
• backdrop
• backstop
• bebop
• blacktop