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

In a statement to CNN, an ICE spokesperson said agents tried to conduct a traffic stop and arrest Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was living in the US without legal permission. — Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 8 July 2026

Equipment violations made up nearly 25 percent of traffic stops from 2017 to 2020, and only 2 percent in 2024. — Tyler Quattrin, Twin Cities, 7 July 2026

Sunday, a Clay County Sheriff’s Office deputy attempted a traffic stop on Jordan’s vehicle, a Volvo S90, that had just fled the Claycomo Police Department, according to charging documents. — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 7 July 2026

The Volkswagen caught fire, which was extinguished by the same officers who attempted the earlier traffic stop, according to the release. — Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 7 July 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